The minister challenged his political rival Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy of the TDP to undergo a blood test.
Police with the people who were involved in the rave party in Bengaluru. (Screengrab)
A rave party busted on Bengaluru outskirts has triggered a political slugfest between the YSRCP and TDP in Andhra Pradesh.
The slugfest began after a car pass, purportedly of Andhra Pradesh Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy, was found at the farmhouse near Electronic City, where the party was organised.
Bengaluru police busted the Sunset to Sunrise Victory-themed party on 19 May, and confiscated banned drugs. More than 100 people — DJs, models, actors, and techies — from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka attended the party.
Though the minister’s car pass was found at the scene, the police had ruled out the presence of any politician from Andhra Pradesh. The minister has now complained to the Nellore police that a forged car pass was used.
The TDP, meanwhile, raked up Kakani’s previous connections to corner him.
Police collected the blood samples of the revellers, and tests confirmed that 86 of them, including actress Hema, had traces of drugs in their blood.
Around four people, including L Vasu, a realtor who organised the party, have been arrested. A hunt is on for the remaining suspects.
The TDP accused the YSRCP, saying that its minister organised and actively participated in the rave party, pointing to the car pass and a passport recovered during the raid.
During a press meet organised in Sarvepalli on 21 May, TDP leader and former minister Somireddy Chandramohan Reddy alleged that Kakani had links with the drug mafia in Bengaluru and Goa.
He alleged that although there are many MLAs from Karnataka, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, only the Andhra Pradesh YSRCP minister’s car pass was found there, raising questions about his connections if he had no involvement.
Somireddy also alleged that a passport belonging to Kakani was recovered at the rave party. He asked the central government to intervene in the matter and check Kakani’s ‘terror’.
He said that he would submit evidence to the Karnataka government, the central agencies, and the newly formed AP government—which he claims will be led by his party, the TDP.
Kakani and Somireddy are contesting to the Andhra Pradesh Assembly from Sarvepalli.
Actor Hema, who reportedly tested positive for drug, had joined the YSRCP in 2019 in the presence of the YSRCP chief and incumbent Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy. She had initially denied attending the party, and said she was in Hyderabad.
Speaking to the South First, Kakani said the police had not said that he or his car were present at the party venue, but his opponent from Sarvepalli was making the allegation.
Stating that he was willing to undergo blood test at any hospital, he dared his opponent to do so. Speaking on the car, he explained that the vehicle with the registration plate AP-16-DD-7799, was registered in the name of T Venkateswara Rao and was used by Poorna Reddy.
He said he did not know neither of the men. But the car had a photocopied sticker of the MLA pass issued to him. The minister said it was duplicated by someone without his permission.
The police have registered a case against the illegal use of fake sticker on 20 May.
The FIR accessed by South First was filed based on the minister’s personal assistant Cherukuri Shankaraiah’s complaint. He stated that each MLA got three stickers each, and all stickers were pasted on the minister’s cars.
Further speaking on his opponent’s allegations of a passport, he said that his passport was with him. He challenged his rival to show his passport to the media.
Meanwhile, the YSRCP claimed that Praneeth Chaudhary and Kondeti Sukumar, who reportedly tested positive, had close ties with the TDP national general secretary Nara Lokesh.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
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