Telangana: Former Minister K T Rama Rao accuses Congress govt of political vendetta over Formula E case

Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], December 20 (ANI): Responding to the corruption allegations levelled against him in connection with the Formula E racing event, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President and former Minister K T Rama Rao (KTR) issued a strong statement. He accused the Congress-led state government of filing baseless and politically motivated cases to divert public attention from its administrative failures, KTR said in a press release.
"We are not just leaders but sons of a movement," said KTR.
"These fabricated cases and conspiracies will neither intimidate us nor deter our fight against corruption and incompetence. I have done no wrong, and I am confident of proving my innocence through legal means."
KTR provided a detailed explanation of the transactions and dismissed the allegations as baseless: The Telangana government, through the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), spent Rs 30 crore, while private sponsor Ace Urban contributed Rs 110 crore. An independent study by Nielsen concluded that the event generated an economic impact of Rs 700 crore for Hyderabad.
The cancellation of subsequent races occurred due to the private sponsor's financial constraints and the Congress government's failure to honour contractual obligations. KTR clarified that the HMDA had adhered to legal provisions, and funds were transparently transferred through government bank channels.
KTR emphasized that Hyderabad had gained global recognition through the Formula E event, attracting significant investments in the electric vehicle sector. However, the Congress government's inept handling of the situation caused reputational damage to Hyderabad and Telangana on the international stage.
KTR accused Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and his administration of attempting to divert attention from the Congress government's unfulfilled promises.
He challenged the government to present evidence of corruption in the ongoing Assembly session, alleging that they lacked any proof.
KTR announced that the BRS legal cell would take all necessary steps to expose the government's political vendetta. He also highlighted instances where international organizers of Formula E, dissatisfied with the government's decisions, initiated arbitration proceedings, causing further embarrassment to Telangana.
Drawing parallels to a similar scenario in Montreal, Canada, where a local government cancelled Formula E races, KTR pointed out that the organizers successfully sued for damages, emphasizing the potential legal and financial repercussions of the Congress government's actions.
"This government's baseless allegations and diversion tactics will not succeed," said KTR.
"The Congress must focus on fulfilling its promises to the people instead of targeting the opposition with unfounded accusations. The people of Telangana deserve better governance."
The former minister expressed confidence that the truth would prevail, urging citizens to recognize the Congress government's attempts to mislead them. (ANI)