High-decibel scenes unfolded in Hyderabad on Friday as K. Kavitha, BRS leader and daughter of former Telangana chief minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case.
The BRS leader, who was apprehended from her Hyderabad home, arrived in Delhi late at night after being taken by the central probe agency for further questioning. She had assured the ED of full cooperation.
According to the arrest memo, she was charged with the offense of money laundering under sections 3 and 4 of the PMLA.
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) announced that the party would be organising protests in all Assembly constituencies on Saturday. The leaders have criticised the BJP for misusing central agencies to settle political scores.
In a video, former IT minister K. Taraka Rama Rao could be seen asking ED officials how they were arresting his sister without a transit warrant. The leaders have questioned the rationale behind the arrest when the matter is sub-judice. KTR also remarked that the arrest was deliberately made on a Friday as courts are closed during the weekend.
P. Mohith Rao, a lawyer in the Supreme Court who is fighting the case on behalf of Kavitha, said that the ED was wrong in arresting her as the apex court is still hearing a plea related to the case. Kavitha had earlier approached the court for protection against the ED summons.
Former health minister and Kavitha’s cousin, Harish Rao, asserted that the arrest was “illegal and undemocratic.” He accused the BJP and Congress of conspiring together to demoralise the BRS party and KCR.
“Conspiracies are not new to us. We will fight a legal battle against Kavitha’s arrest. The Supreme Court told the ED not to take any action against her until March 19. Why arrest her in such a hurry then? She was arrested today as the Lok Sabha election schedule will come tomorrow,” Rao stated.
Telangana BSP President RS Praveen described Kavitha’s arrest as nothing short of a blow to the self-esteem of the people of Telangana.
“Modi started blackmail politics after KCR refused to form an alliance with BJP and joined hands with a secular party like BSP instead. The arrest is totally undemocratic. This is nothing but a blow to the self-esteem of the people of Telangana,” Praveen stated.
Further adding, “Modi’s rule in the country is worse than the Nazi dictatorship. Yesterday it was Sisodia and Hemant Soren, today Kalvakuntla Kavitha, tomorrow you or me…?.”
Meanwhile, the Congress described the arrest as a drama orchestrated by the BRS and BJP.
“Kavitha was arrested by the BJP government to give a breather to the desperate BRS. ED which has been silent for all these days suddenly woke up and arrested Kavitha, just a day before the announcement of the election schedule. This was done with an intention to create sympathy in favor of BRS. The timing of her arrest was made to coincide with the road show of Prime Minister Modi in Malkajigiri Lok Sabha constituency,” said senior Congress leader G. Niranjan.
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