Excise Policy Scam: No one will be spared including Telangana CM's daughter: Anurag Thakur

Union Minister Anurag Thakur on Saturday launched a scathing attack on opposition leaders, saying that the probe agencies will not spare anyone in the Delhi Excise Policy case including Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s daughter K Kavitha, whose name was mentioned in a charge sheet filed by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in the case. He also alleged that the Congress is using foreign money to win elections, and targeted Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel over the allegation that he (Baghel) received more than Rs 500 crore kickback from the promoters of Mahadev betting app. Thakur further accused Congress leaders Rahul Gandhi, Sonia Gandhi and the party’s president Mallikarjun Kharge of trying to win elections with foreign money, which he said came from overseas through the Mahadev betting app. “Rahul Gandhi has to reply. Aap satta (betting) ke raste satta (power) me aana chahate hain. (You want to come to power playing a game of betting). This will cost the Congress dearly,” the Union Information and Broadcasting Minister told reporters here, attacking the Congress and its leaders. Congress wants to come to power through corruption money, foreign money and betting money because its guarantees have failed in the states ruled by the grand old party, the senior BJP leader alleged. Thakur further attacked Congress over alleged corruption under its rule in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan, and referred to it as “Bhu-pay” and “Geh-Loot” rule. He said recently a huge amount of cash was seized in Karnataka after raids and alleged it was meant for funding the upcoming polls in different states, including Telangana. Dismissing allegations that the BJP has a tacit understanding with the ruling Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) in Telangana, Thakur said that the BJP does not have any understanding with the BRS. Referring to the arrests of former deputy chief minister of Delhi Manish Sisodia and AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh in connection with the now-scrapped Delhi Excise Policy, Thakur said “her (Kavitha’s) number will also come”. “Kavitha ji’s name is mentioned in the Delhi Excise Policy case and investigating agencies are probing the matter. If former deputy chief minister of Delhi and Rajya Sabha MP (AAP leaders Manish Sisodia and Sanjay Singh) were not spared and when notice, has been issued to Delhi Chief Minister (Arvind Kejriwal), then the day would not be far away for Kavitha also,” he said. “No one will be spared. Whoever is involved…one by one their number will come and summons have already been issued to Kejriwal–the kingpin of the scam,” Thakur said. On reports of cracks being developed in the pillars at Medigadda Barrage, he said an investigation will be carried out over alleged corruption in the Kaleswaram irrigation project in Telangana and strict action will be initiated. “The National Dam Safety Authority (NDSA) has given its report which reveals that an engineering blunder happened at Medigadda Barrage in the Kaleswaram project. The kingpin of the corruption in Kaleswaram project stays in his farm house and indulges in loot by running the Telangana government,” Thakur alleged. “Their sins will cost them dearly and their corruption will take them to jail,” the senior BJP leader claimed, adding, “KCR you can change your party’s name from TRS to BRS, but you cannot hide your corrupt face and KCR cannot hide his family’s corruption”. He attacked KCR saying he neither fulfilled his promises of giving jobs to youth nor gave a Rs 3,000 unemployment allowance. He further challenged KCR and his family members for debate on how many of the promises made in the election manifestos of the BRS during 2014 and 2018 elections were fulfilled by them. When asked about Rahul Gandhi’s statement during his poll rallies in Telangana that as BJP and BRS have an “alliance”, there was no CBI, ED or IT inquiry against the Telangana Chief Minister, Thakur said, “We don’t need a certificate from Rahul Gandhi who himself is out on bail in the National Herald case along with Sonia Gandhi ji”. Reacting to a query, he alleged that BRS and Congress have a mutual understanding with the KCR-led party deciding Congress’ tickets. “Now it is also being heard that BRS is distributing Congress tickets. It shows that BRS is deciding tickets of Congress. It clearly shows that BRS and Congress have a mutual understanding,” he claimed. Thakur further accused the Congress of making false promises to women of the country over the past several years, and pointed out the Narendra Modi government ensured 33 per cent reservation to women in the country’s Parliament and State assemblies through the Women’s Reservation Bill and said it is historic. He said the BJP will make a Backward Class (BC) leader as Chief Minister of Telangana if the saffron party was voted to power after the November 30 assembly polls in the state. Earlier in the day, Thakur accompanied Goshamahal BJP candidate and sitting MLA Raja Singh, who filed his nomination here for the November 30 assembly polls. With PTI inputs.