Telangana’s ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi party’s (BRS) former MP, current MLC and chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter, K Kavitha decided to prioritise a women’s “protest” over a summon from the Enforcement Directory (ED) regarding her involvement in the Delhi government’s Liquor Scam.
Kavitha’s brother and the CM’s son, KT Rama Rao, is the state’s Minister for Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Industries & Commerce as well as Information Technology. The CM’s nephew, T Harish Rao is the Minister of the Medical – Health, and Finance Department of Telangana.
With four members of the Telangana CM’s immediate family in important State Ministerial positions and key BRS party posts, including the CM himself, the BRS party has developed a reputation of a typical Indian regional dynastic political party.
Dominated by one family in a typical dynastic manner, Telangana’s BRS party members are expected to support and rally behind CM K Chandrasekar Rao’s family, regardless of the matter at hand. One scandal that refuses to go away; one that the CM’s family and his party are unable to exercise their power and influence over, is the infamous Delhi “Liquorgate” scam that the CM’s daughter, K Kavitha is reported to be involved in and being investigated for, by both the CBI and the ED investigative agencies.
While the BRS party, parroting the words of other opposition parties, claims that Kavitha’s case is one of political vendetta by the BJP, the state’s BJP asks why, although they have made statements indicating cooperation. The BRS party and Kavitha are uncomfortable with an ED investigation into the matter. It is still unclear why Kavitha is not yet able to furnish any conclusive evidence of her non-involvement in the Delhi liquor scam, which involves big names like Aam Aadmi Party’s Manish Sisodia.
Critics also question Kavitha’s hesitation and eventual postponement of her scheduled enquiry/ED investigation, if indeed, she has no financial irregularities to hide and she is indeed innocent as claimed by BRS party leaders. Kavitha asked for a postponement of the original ED date of Thursday, March 9. She will now appear before the ED on March 11, after leading a women’s reservation protest in Delhi, on March 10. The CBI had earlier interrogated Kavitha, filed charges, and summoned her for questioning, based on the CBI’s reports.
The BRS party’s K Kavitha and her “NGO”, Bharath Jagruthi, plan to stage a dharna/protest involving a women’s reservation bill, just in time, when Kavitha is trying to fight negative publicity for herself, her political family, and her father’s BRS party with regards to the Delhi liquor scam. It is expected that around 500 people will sit on a hunger strike, demanding the Centre to pass a Women’s Reservation Bill, to ensure a 33% reservation for women in the Parliament and State Legislatures.
Critics are questioning the timing of the “protest” and asking why Kavitha, the BRS party, and other opposition parties didn’t sincerely strive for a larger women’s political and legislative representation/reservation earlier – why did they wait till now and what are all these political parties doing for women’s political participation and reservation, within their own parties?
The BJP points out that it has had a better track record of women’s representation and offering key legislative positions to its women leaders, than most of the other political parties. Critics ask why Kavitha’s BRS party or the several other parties joining today’s protest, had not put on a tough fight for a women’s reservation bill during the tenure of the earlier non-BJP regime.
Other opposition parties who see an opportunity at being in the right place, at the right time, are also expected to help Kavitha put on a show at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar. It is to be noted that her father, Telangana’s current CM, Chandrasekar Rao tried to create a third front of sorts back in January 2023, to showcase his national ambitions and a semi-opposition unity (not all opposition parties chose to join his bandwagon) under his leadership.
Kavitha’s Delhi protest is expected to bring several Opposition parties together. Opposition leaders who have agreed to participate in support of the Women’s Reservation Bill include, Sitaram Yechury, D Raja, Omar Abdullah, leaders from Kavitha’s own BRS party, and others leaders from the National Conference, PDP, Akali Dal, Trinamool Congress, Janata Dal (U), RJD, Samajwadi Party, CPI, CPM, DMK, NCP, Shiv Sena, Aam Aadmi Party, and the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha.
It appears that Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao has directed current Telangana ministers, Satyavathi Rathod and P Sabitha Indra Reddy along with women MPs, MLAs, and MLCs from the BRS party to actively participate in his daughter’s Delhi protest.
Mild tension had prevailed at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar on Thursday, after the Delhi Police asked the Bharat Jagruthi (an “NGO” led by K Kavitha) to confine itself to one-half of the requested protest area as they had granted permission on the same day, for another BJP-led protest against the Delhi government’s Excise/liquor policy scam, in which, ironically, Kavitha is being investigated. As of last night, the BRS-led protest was permitted to utilise the whole ground as originally requested. It is reported that the BJP decided to hold its liquorgate protest at a different venue, the Deendayal Marg.
Kavitha said earlier “I request President Draupadi Murmu to ensure passage of the Women’s Reservation Bill.” In the same breath, Kavitha complimented Congress leader Sonia Gandhi for having backed the Women’s Reservation Bill despite leading a coalition government at the Centre! The BJP is scoffing at the BRS’s attempt to score points with the Congress, even as both parties launch scathing attacks at each other in the state, as Telangana’s state elections draw closer.
Kavitha’s involvement in the liquorgate scam is via her close business association and related activities with Butchibabu Gorantla, a Hyderabad based Chartered Accountant and Anil Kumar Boinapally, a Hyderabadi businessman. A group of individusls from the South with proven links to both Andhra’s YSR party and Telangana’s BRS party (informally referred to as “the South group” by the ED) are reported to have struck a financial deal with certain decision makers of Delhi’s AAP party for the cartelization of Delhi’s liquor purchase/import, distribution and sale.
Ex-Deputy Chief Minister of Delhi, Manish Sisodia’s secretary/ PA went on record, exposing evidence of the ‘South Group’s’ ₹100 Cr illicit payments to the AAP’s coffers.
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