Telangana Labour Minister Ch. Malla Reddy has come under the scanner of the income tax department. A successful businessman, Malla Reddy who is a Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) leader representing Malkajgiri Assembly constituency in the Greater Hyderabad region, founded several engineering and medical educational institutions. Since Tuesday morning, I-T sleuths conducted raids at multiple properties, offices as well as residences, belonging to Malla Reddy’s family and his associates in and around Hyderabad.
Reportedly, around 50 teams with more than 200 I-T officials were involved in the exercise in which the minister’s sons and brother were also questioned. On Wednesday morning, the minister’s elder son, Mahender Reddy complained of chest pain and was moved to a hospital run by the family. The minister, who got to know about the incident through the media, was allegedly prevented from seeing his son. Flanked by his followers, he spoke to the media and accused the BJP government of harassing him and his family only because they were in the TRS camp.
“I have never seen such treatment being meted out to political opponents. They mentally tortured my son. They brought in CRPF to beat him up. He is in agony. Why are they doing this to us? Am I a smuggler?’’ He said.
Later, he was allowed to visit his son in the hospital. The TRS party has thrown its weight behind the minister and termed it a political witch hunt unleashed by the BJP. According to sources, the senior leadership of the party is chalking out a plan as a counter to the IT and ED raids on them. The party wants to show to the public that they are being targeted. Recently, Telangana Animal Husbandry Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadav’s personal assistant was questioned by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a case related to casino operations. Before that, ED also raided the house and properties of BC Welfare Minister, Gangula Kamalakar who is in the business of granite mining.
Meanwhile, the Special Investigations Team (SIT) constituted by the Telangana government to probe the alleged poaching attempt of its MLAs wants to question BJP’s top leader and its General Secretary, BL Santhosh. During the hearing of a case in the high court, the state government informed that despite serving summons, BL Santosh was not appearing before the SIT. Kerala residents, Thushar Vellapally, President of Bharath Dharma Jana Sena (BDJS) and Dr Jaggu, an office bearer of Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences have also not responded to SIT’s notices.
Defending his party leader Santhosh, BJP state president, Bandi Sanjay accused the TRS government of unfairly targeting the party for political reasons.
