The police and excise officials raid on the farmhouse of BRS leader K T Rama Rao’s relative Rajendra Pakala near Hyderabad on the night of October 26-27 has turned into a political controversy. According to police reports, the raid was carried out based on a tip-off involving 300 police officers.
In the raid, the police found 21 men and 14 women attending the party, besides which they recovered seven bottles of foreign liquor and ten bottles of Indian-made liquor. According to the police, this is more liquor than is allowed without an excise department permit. Police suspected drug use at the party. They conducted drug tests on all the guests, and at one of them, Vijay Madduri, a high ranking employee in a software firm, tested positive for cocaine. He was later sent to the hospital for a confirmatory blood test
The police arrested Raj Pakala for hosting a party without an excise permit and allowing drugs to be used at the event. The case was filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, and Pakala was also charged under the Excise Act for not having the required alcohol permits.
The raid has caused a huge political commotion in Telangana. The Bharat Rashtra Samiti party leaders have criticized the police and the Congress-led government for making political mileage out of the raid.the party leaders claim that police have framed KTR and his family in the false case, BRS leader, Dr. Sravan Dasoju said that the raid was an attempt to harm KTR’s reputation describing it as “cheap political theatrics.” He alleged that the gathering was simple family dinner with elderly persons and children present and needed not to be portrayed like a “rave party.”
Former BRS minister Sabita Indra Reddy and other leaders condemned the raid, terming the party a private affair and blaming the police for harassing people attending it. BRS workers protested the police raid at different parts of the state.
Other Opposition parties also demanded a proper probe into the incident. BJP leader Bandi Sanjay Kumar alleged that the Congress government was protecting high-profile members of the BRS and sought strict action against those involved. He asked the police to seize the passports of everyone present at the party and examine the CCTV footage for further information.
The police have since issued a statement claiming that they acted on good information and through the legal process. They also explained that only one person tested positive for drugs, and no other drugs were found at the party. Despite all this, the raid has turned into a hot political issue in the state as both parties accused each other of politicizing the event.
The midnight raid will, in the meantime spark a hot debate between the ruling and opposition parties that will dominate the political fight in Telangana over the coming months. meanwhile, the police goes ahead with their investigation process.
