Currently, India is in the midst of a series of state assembly elections, with Rajasthan scheduled for November 25th and Telangana for November 30th. Previously, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Mizoram have undergone state elections. The Rajasthan battle primarily features Congress against the Bharatiya Janata Party, while in Telangana, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and Congress engage in a head-to-head contest. Simultaneously, the BJP is making efforts to strengthen its presence in another southern state. However, in Telangana, the Congress primary strategy is to mislead the public by suggesting an alliance between BRS and BJP.
Congress leader and spokesperson Dr. Shama Mohamed uploaded a short clip of her press conference on X where she alleged, “The name of Kavitha Rao has emerged in the Delhi liquor scam. The Centre has arrested an Aam Aadmi Party leader in the scam, but the ED or CBI has shown no interest in even summoning Kavitha because she is KCR’s daughter. This proves that BJP is in cahoots with the BRS party.”
To provide context to the claims put forth by Congress Spokesperson Dr. Shama Mohamed, who asserted that the liquor scam, primarily orchestrated by Aam Aadmi Party leaders, has led to numerous individuals serving jail sentences. Allegedly, Kavitha Rao, the daughter of the CM of Telangana, is implicated in the liquor scam, yet neither the ED nor the CBI has shown any inclination to summon her. Dr. Mohammad contends that this lack of action indicates collusion between BJP and BRS.
This article will thoroughly examine the allegations made by the Congress spokesperson to ascertain the credibility of her statement. We aim to determine whether there is any substance to her claims or if it’s merely another attempt to mislead the people of Telangana.
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Fact Check
Our investigation into the claims made by the Congress spokesperson commenced by delving into the relevant news reports associated with the matter. As per a Hindustan Times report dated September 15, it was reported that Kavitha Rao, a leader of BRS and the daughter of Telangana CM, was indeed summoned by the ED in connection to her involvement in the Delhi Liquor Scam.
Later we learned that Kavitha Rao didn’t appear in front of the ED, instead, she went to the Supreme Court. However, the Court gave her brief relief from the summons. According to Live Law, “Supreme Court Asks ED To Not Summon BRS Leader K Kavita Till Nov 20.”
In addition, upon further investigation, it was revealed through various media reports that Kavitha Rao not only received a summons from the ED but was also subjected to an extensive interrogation lasting over 10 hours. According to the New Indian Express report published on 20th March 2023, “The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has once again summoned Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader K Kavitha on Tuesday after the probing agency questioned the Telangana MLC for over 10 hours in connection with her alleged role in the multi-crore Delhi excise policy scam case on Monday.”
The report further reads, “Kavitha, daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao, was first questioned in the case on March 11 for close to nine hours, following which she was summoned again on March 16. However, she skipped the deposition citing her pending plea before the Supreme Court against the ED action. The ED rejected her reason and directed her to depose on March 20. The apex court will hear Kavitha’s petition on March 24.”
The aforementioned reports substantiate that Kavitha Rao, the daughter of CM KCR, not only faced repeated summonses from the ED but was also subjected to an extensive interrogation lasting more than 10 hours for her involvement in the liquor scam. Therefore, the assertion made by Congress spokesperson Shama Mohamed is false.
Shedding more light on the role of Kavitha in the liquor scam, Kavitha is said to be a crucial part of the South Group of liquor traders. They supposedly paid Rs 100 crore upfront to influence policy changes. These changes, claimed to be secured by the South Group, allegedly caused widespread cartelization at various sales levels. This violated recommendations from an expert committee and resulted in substantial profits for liquor traders through higher commissions. Some of these gains were allegedly funneled back to AAP through different intermediaries.
| Claim | Kavitha Rao was not summoned by ED |
| Claimed by | Congress Spokesperson Dr Shama Mohamed |
| Fact Check | Fake |
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