Power is not permanent, TRS reminds BJP after I-T crackdown on Labour Minister Malla Reddy

The TRS leader, who left the TDP in 2016 after a two-year stint, represents Medchal in the state Assembly.

Massive search

According to reports, about 50 teams from the tax evasion wing of the I-T department are involved in the search, including at Reddy’s Palm Meadows residence at Kompally. The searches are being carried out simultaneously.

The sleuths are checking the accounts registers of Reddy’s institutions. Reddy, who had represented Malkajgiri in Parliament, has been accused of evading taxes.

The officials are also searching the residences and offices of Reddy’s son Mahendra Reddy, his son-in-law Rajasekhar Reddy and his brothers.

Reddy’s wife Kalapana Reddy is the vice-president of several educational societies such as CMR Educational Society, St Martin’s Educational Society and others.

Investigators are also reportedly looking into Reddy and his relatives’ real estate deals carried out during the past three years.

Also read: ED raids 6 locations in Hyderabad over Delhi liquor scam case

Continuing searches

Incidentally, the Enforcement Directorate and I-T department have been searching the premises of several TRS leaders over the past few days.

On 9 November, the central agencies inspected several companies of TRS BC Welfare and Food Supplies Minister Gangula Kamalakar and his relatives over alleged Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) violations by his granite firm.

A day later, the ED searched the office of TRS Rajya Sabha member Vaddiraju Ravichandra alias Gayatri Ravi for possible FEMA violations.

The searches came even as a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of Telangana has intensified its probe into the ‘Cash for MLAs’ case, allegedly involving some top BJP leaders.

The ED on Monday, 21 November, had questioned TRS Minister Talasani Srinivas Yadhav’s personal assistant Harish in the Chikoti Praveen casino case. It has been alleged Praveen and two others organised high-stake gambling in Nepal and chartered flights to fly gamblers to Jhapa in the Himalayan nation.

Central government misusing institutions

Later, the Minister for Animal Husbandry T Srinivas Yadav and Home Minister Mahmood Ali held a meeting with the party MLAs, MLCs, and constituency in-charges of Greater Hyderabad.

After the meeting, Yadav told reporters that the central government is misusing institutions under its control to target its political opponents.

“People are watching what is happening. Instead of politically facing its opponents, the central government is using the institutions under its control to scare them. We are not the ones to get scared,” he said while responding to I-T searches on Malla Reddy and his family members.

“If IT and ED raids happen in a normal course, we don’t find any fault but these raids are happening to target (us). We had anticipated these raids. The chief minister already spoke about this,” he said.

The minister reminded the BJP that power would not be permanent.

“Today you have power in your hands. Tomorrow it may be in our hands. The TRS leadership is not scared of the raids. If we were really scared, we would not have remained in Hyderabad,” Yadav said.

He said the TRS would give a befitting reply in a democratic manner. “We will fight it out in the people’s court,” he added.

He said the TRS general body meeting would be held on November 27 to discuss welfare and development schemes and the party programmes.

Several teams of the tax evasion wing of the I-T Department were carrying out the searches since morning.

The ED had a week ago questioned Yadav’s brothers Mahesh Yadav and Dharam Yadav in the Nepal casino case.

TRS legislator L Ramana fainted during questioning by the ED officials on November 18.

Also read: SC frees SIT from HC single judge’s supervision

(The report has been updated after the TRS ministers’ meeting with party leaders).