KTR lunges at Modi for hobnobbing with Adani

Hyderabad: Minister for IT K T Rama Rao on Thursday launched a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP-led Centre, accusing it of crony capitalism, favouring Adani and "misusing" agencies such as the Enforcement Directorate to harass opposition leaders.

Rama Rao, who alleged that the central agencies have become puppets in the hands of the Modi government, claimed that several BRS leaders have been targeted by the Centre.

The summons issued by the ED to his sister and BRS MLC K Kavitha in connection with a money laundering case linked to alleged irregularities in the Delhi excise policy are "not ED summons but Modi summons", he said.

KTR alleged that NDA government had become synonymous with "unscrupulous rule" and "dishonest investigation agencies", the BRS leader alleged a nexus between Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani.

"I am alleging directly that Gautam Adani is a proxy of Narendra Modi. The double engine he (Modi) talks about means that the economic engine is Adani and the political engine is Modi," he said. The 'double engine' Modi talks about is only either 'Jumla' (empty promises) or 'Hamla' (attacks), he further alleged.

Though the Finance Ministry and NITI Aayog had raised red flags about "giving six airports to Adani" on the ground that a firm can only set up two airports as per the existing rules, the regulations were changed in favour of Adani Rama Rao alleged.

He further alleged that Adani funds the BJP through electoral bonds and other means while the ruling party at the Centre uses it to purchase MLAs, dethrone democratically-elected governments and split parties. In case such tactics do not work, then "set all these agencies like hunting dogs against opposition parties to demoralise us to ensure that political vendetta is carried out."

He said, "The Sri Lankan government has clearly said Modi brought pressure on our President (Ranil Wickremesinghe) and got a Rs 6,000 crore project for Adani. Sri Lanka's Finance Minister came to attend G20 meetings.

He clearly said the Rs 6,000 crore project given to Adani is a government to government deal," he said. If he (Modi) has guts then come forward and tell (everyone) that these allegations are false," he added.