Bhatti demands clarification from Radhakrishna over Singareni tender reports

Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka accused ABN Andhra Jyothy Managing Director Vemuri Radhakrishna of publishing false reports on Singareni tenders and demanded a public clarification. He said fabricated stories were aimed at damaging his political career and misleading the public.

Hyderabad: Continuing his tirade against ABN Andhra Jyothy Managing Director Vemuri Radhakrishna over what he termed false allegations on Singareni tenders, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka on Saturday demanded that he admit the reports were concocted and place the facts before the people.Accusing Radhakrishna of resorting to character assassination through his columns, Bhatti Vikramarka said attempts were being made to tarnish his four-decade-long political career with fake stories, which would not be accepted or tolerated.

“You have resorted to character assassination on my 40 year career. This will not be accepted nor tolerated. I am in politics with a noble intention and not to indulge in cheap activities,” the Deputy Chief Minister said.

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Stating that even a single fake report aimed at maligning his image would not be tolerated, Bhatti Vikramarka said Radhakrishna should, at least now, issue a clarification admitting that the reports published were wrong.

Coming down heavily on the ABN Andhra Jyothy Managing Director for publishing what he described as concocted stories, particularly with regard to the mandatory site visit clause in Singareni tenders, the Deputy Chief Minister explained that such conditions were being followed by several public sector undertakings across the country.

He said it was being projected as if the Congress government, after coming to power in 2023, had introduced these clauses to favour a particular individual or company. In reality, he said, such clauses had been in practice in PSUs since 2018.

“Under the Toli Paluku column of Radhakrishna, these concocted stories are being published to benefit a few looters and vultures. I am not aware as to who is getting benefited out of these stories. But, both Telangana and Singareni are suffering due to these false stories,” Bhatti Vikramarka said.

Describing Singareni as Telangana’s asset, he said several people and vested interests had cast their eye on it and their attempts to loot its resources were being foiled. “Perhaps they are unhappy with my transparent working style and as a result these fake stories are being published,” he added.

He said that since the publication of the alleged false reports, people from different sections were discussing the issue from different perspectives. “As a Deputy Chief Minister and publishing company owner Radhakrishna, I am prepared to settle scores personally,” he said.

Bhatti Vikramarka further said that if former Minister T Harish Rao wrote to him, he would take up the issue with Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and insist on a probe into all Singareni tenders since 2014.
Welcoming the union Coal Ministry’s decision to constitute a technical team to enquire into complaints relating to the Naini coal block tenders, he said this would place facts before the people. He added that the tenders had already been cancelled by SCCL.