Congress and BRS clash over venue for debate on welfare tenders

Congress Ministers assembled at Gun Park instead of the Press Club after accepting the BRS challenge for a debate on welfare tender irregularities. They accused BRS leaders of staying away and challenged BRS Chief K Chandrashekhar Rao to participate.

Hyderabad: A political tussle broke out over the venue for an open debate on alleged irregularities in welfare department tenders after Congress Ministers, who had accepted the BRS challenge to debate at the Press Club in Somajiguda, assembled at Gun Park and accused BRS leaders of failing to turn up.

The Ministers further insisted that BRS president K Chandrashekhar Rao participate in the debate. The developments came after former Ministers T Harish Rao and V Srinivas Goud, BRS General Secretary RS Praveen Kumar and other party leaders were taken into custody and prevented from heading to Gun Park.

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Addressing the media, SC and ST Welfare Minister Adluri Laxman said the Ministers had waited for the BRS leaders and former Ministers at Gun Park till noon, but they did not arrive.

He alleged that the BRS leaders were misleading the public with false claims of irregularities in tenders floated by the welfare departments. He also demanded that K Chandrashekhar Rao attend the debate.

When asked about the detention of BRS leaders, Laxman said, “We are in no way connected with the arrests.”

BC Welfare Minister Ponnam Prabhakar said the total value of the tenders was Rs.1,143 crore and alleged that the BRS was falsely claiming irregularities worth Rs.2,000 crore.

“RS Praveen Kumar is a former IPS officer. Let the BRS legislators and former Ministers come for the debate,” he said, adding that the Congress was ready for a discussion either in the Assembly or at the Press Club.

Meanwhile, Excise Minister Jupally Krishna Rao, who had challenged the BRS to a debate on the State’s debt at Telangana Bhavan, also reached Gun Park. At the same time, BRS working president KT Rama Rao was waiting for him at Telangana Bhavan.

Krishna Rao alleged that the previous BRS government had raised debts of Rs.7.30 lakh crore during its 10-year tenure. He challenged the BRS to produce documents supporting its claim that it had borrowed only Rs.3.50 lakh crore. “Harish Rao is coming to Gun Park. Let KT Rama Rao and BRS chief KCR also come here,” Krishna Rao said.