CM must apologise for quotandValue of freebies seized during poll removal charge, says Kishan season crosses ₹200-crore mark
State BJP president and Union Minister G. Kishan Reddy has demanded Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to apologise and take back his accusation about the saffron party wanting to abolish reservations for the weaker sections, stating that he would not hesitate to drag the latter to court on the issue.
“It is unforgivable for a person occupying the Chief Minister rank to stoop to such levels without proof. No force on earth can remove quota benetting the marginalised sections. The RSS chief has already claried on the reservations issue and our party is reiterating its faith in the reservation till its last breath,” he asserted while talking to the media at the party o£ce on Monday.
The BJP chief charged the Chief Minister of “spreading social disharmony” in society and “threatening national security” with his provocative comments on quota removal and claimed that the latter had already lost public condence for his alleged failure to implement the six guarantees within 100 days of coming to power in the Assembly elections.
The Congress has been resorting to morphed videos, audio and tweets to mislead the people but their attempts have failed as people do not trust the party, he said, adding: “It is a crime to morph the video of Home Minister Amit Shah. That was posted from the social media page of the party, indicating its level of bankruptcy.”
“Both parties are like frogs in the well and making all kinds of allegations, including Hyderabad being turned into a Union Territory, snatching away Krishna river water and so on, even while indulging in fake ghting drama in the polls,” said Mr. Kishan Reddy.
Earlier, BRS Peddapalli MP Venkatesh Netha, exminister Peddireddi and other leaders joined BJP and were welcomed with party shawls. Mr. Netha had joined the Congress a couple of months ago.
The value of cash, liquor and other freebies meant for inducement of voters that have been seized by authorities has crossed the ₹200-crore mark.
According to o£cials, the value of the total seizures since March 1, a fortnight before the announcement of the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections, reached ₹202.52 crore till Sunday. Of these, the cash seizures accounted for ₹76.65 crore while 15.18 lakh litres of liquor valued at ₹43.57 crore was seized. For the rst time, the Commercial Taxes Department too chipped in with seizures of 245 litres of liquor
valued at ₹21.19 lakh.
Drugs and narcotics worth ₹26.11 crore had been seized during this period. Precious metals like gold and silver ornaments and other valuables worth ₹29.62 crore were seized.
The value of other freebies such as laptops, cookers and sarees seized at check posts as well as during inspections by enforcement agencies was estimated at ₹26.54 crore.
The intensity with which the political parties are trying to win over voters can be gauged from the fact that the seizures announced by the State election o£cials are before the closure of withdrawal of nominations on Monday. With the candidates from major political parties as well as independents being nalised, the full-«edged campaign for the 17 Lok Sabha seats in the State will start from Tuesday.
This in turn could see a spurt in the eorts to induce voters in the coming fortnight, but senior o£cials said enforcement agencies are on constant vigil to see that such practices are contained to the maximum extent.