BJP asks KCR and Revanth Reddy to disclose assets before and after power

Telangana BJP president N. Ramchander Rao has called on former Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao and Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy to make public their assets before and after assuming office, saying the disclosures would address concerns about the alleged accumulation of illegal wealth.

Speaking at a press conference in New Delhi on Friday, Mr. Rao pointed to Mr. Revanth Reddy's own statement in the Assembly that the previous BRS government under KCR had plundered the Nizam's wealth and the lands of poor people, and was allegedly involved in the encroachment of nearly 500 acres of valuable land.

He noted that BRS leaders, in turn, have accused the Congress government of large-scale land irregularities, alleging that private properties were taken over under the guise of the '22A' prohibited lands list.

Against this backdrop of allegations and counter-allegations between the Congress and the BRS, Mr. Rao said both leaders should be transparent about their landholdings and assets. He suggested they publish details of their personal and family assets, comparing declarations made before entering politics with their current asset values.

The BJP leader also sought a comprehensive inquiry into the land grab allegations raised on the floor of the Legislative Assembly. He said the investigation should not be limited to the alleged 500-acre land scam during the previous BRS regime but should also cover allegations of land grabbing under the '22A' prohibited list during the Congress government's tenure.

Accusing both governments of placing personal and family interests above public welfare, Mr. Rao said the BJP would maintain an independent political course and contest future elections on its own. He expressed confidence that the party would form the next government in Telangana and, once in power, order a thorough probe into the alleged land loot under both the previous and the present governments, bringing those responsible to justice.

Mr. Rao also criticised both the BRS and the Congress for praising the Nizam and for overlooking the atrocities committed during his rule before Operation Polo, the military action launched under the leadership of Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel that led to the integration of Hyderabad State with the Indian Union.