K Kavitha, Bharat Rashtra Samithi leader and daughter of Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao, appeared before Enforcement Directorate this morning in the Delhi liquor policy case. Manish Sisodia has been arrested in the same case.
It is learnt that ED will question Kavitha in the presence of middleman Arun Ramachandran Pillai, who the agency alleges was instrumental in tweaking Delhi’s liquor policy to help companies of the “South Group” and Sisodia who diluted the policy in their favour without any consultation.
Kavitha was to meet the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday. Citing her hunger strike scheduled in Delhi on Friday seeking the introduction of the Women’s Reservation Bill in parliament, she asked the ED to postpone her questioning to today, which the central agency had agreed.
Ministers from Telangana cabinet have reached Kavitha’s residence. KT Rama Rao reached last night. Education minister Sabitha Indra Reddy, Satyavathi Rathod, women, child welfare and tribal affairs minister, V Srinivas Goud, tourism and excise minister, Zahirabad MP BB Patil, and Rajya Sabha MP K Keshava Rao have reached her residence.
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia is already under the ED’s custody. He was also arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for alleged corruption in framing Delhi’s new liquor policy, which was later scrapped.
.The ED alleged the liquor policy was tweaked to help companies of the “South Group” and Sisodia diluted the policy in their favour without any consultation.
“In India, there’s no difference between Enforcement Directorate summons and (Narendra) Modi’s summons… It is a practice now wherever there’s an election, before PM, the Enforcement Directorate comes. What can the opposition do? Go to people’s court or the Supreme Court,” Ms Kavitha told NDTV on Friday.
Kavitha, 44, has said the BJP is trying to “intimidate my leader”, referring to her father KCR, who is hoping for a third consecutive term in power in the state, where assembly elections are due in a few months.
Wth inputs from NDTV
