KTR Accepts Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy's Open Challenge, Raises Political Stakes

Hyderabad: BRS Working President K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) has accepted the open challenge issued by Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, leading to a significant escalation in Telangana's political landscape. During a media interaction at Telangana Bhavan, KTR made a bold declaration, stating that he would take "political retirement" if the accusations he raised proved false.

"If my claims are proven wrong after an inquiry by a sitting judge, I will take political retirement. Yesterday, a minister claimed that if proven wrong, he would resign. If the minister is truly sincere, let's go together to the Chief Justice of the High Court. Let's conduct an inquiry under a sitting judge. If the inquiry finds no wrongdoing, I will retire from politics," KTR challenged, emphasising the importance of accountability. He also suggested going to the Central Vigilance Commissioner (CVC) if the minister had any reservations about a High Court inquiry.

Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy had earlier challenged KTR, claiming that tenders worth ₹8,888 crore were not issued, and the actual value was ₹3,516 crore. He added that if KTR’s allegations were true, he would resign. Ponguleti further demanded KTR resign if proven wrong, setting the stage for a high-stakes political confrontation.

The verbal exchange has sparked a fresh wave of political debate in Telangana.