Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao has accused the state government of imprisoning BRS leader and former MLA Balka Suman for exposing various scams in Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) and other issues. Speaking after meeting Suman in Chanchalguda jail on Thursday, Rao claimed that the government is harassing opposition leaders by registering false cases to divert public attention.
Meeting in Jail
KTR, accompanied by BRS leaders Talasani Srinivas Yadav, Sudhir Reddy, and Harshavardhan Reddy, visited Balka Suman in jail. Addressing the media outside, KTR asserted that the BRS is not intimidated by government threats or jail sentences and vowed to continue exposing alleged scams in the state government.
Double Standards Alleged
KTR questioned the government's differential treatment in filing cases against Congress and BRS leaders. He asked, "Why wasn’t Chief Minister Revanth Reddy jailed when he, as Malkajgiri MP and PCC President, threatened to bomb the Chief Minister’s official residence, ‘Pragathi Bhavan’? Is he not punishable? Why is there no action against Union Minister Bandi Sanjay, who threatened a ‘surgical strike’ on Hyderabad’s Old City? Do the sections imposed on Balka Suman not apply to him? Why hasn’t the law taken action against Congress leader Mainampally Hanumantha Rao, who attacked Harish Rao’s camp office in Siddipet and threatened to set it on fire, or against Jadcherla MLA Anirudh Reddy, who threatened to burn down a company?"
Misuse of PDPP Act
The BRS leader alleged that the government is misusing the Prevention of Damage to Public Property (PDPP) Act against Balka Suman to cover up real exploitation in Singareni. He claimed that the BRS had exposed a Rs. 15,000 crore scam involving 'Site Visitation Certificates' and that another leader, Harish Rao, had exposed irregularities worth hundreds of crores in solar tenders. "The Congress government is exploiting Singareni workers," KTR said.
Workers' Issues Highlighted
KTR stated that Balka Suman had raised his voice for workers at the Telangana Coal Mine Workers Union (TBGKS) meeting against injustices in Singareni. He criticized the Congress government for not holding board meetings for 11 months, thereby denying employment to thousands of workers' children, contrasting this with the 19,000 jobs provided under the previous BRS government led by KCR. He condemned Deputy CM Bhatti Vikramarka for announcing a vigilance inquiry into those 19,000 jobs in the assembly, causing unrest among workers.
