IT Raids On Revanth Reddy's Residences

Income tax officials today raided the residence of Congress leader A Revanth Reddy and those of his relatives, both in Hyderabad and Kodangal, leading to plenty of brouhaha in the party.

Newly appointed as TPCC working president, Reddy launched his election campaign today at Kodangal after first visiting the Tirumala shrine, and moved from there to address a public meeting in Kosgi, when he got to know of the raids after the IT officials called him to come down to Hyderabad. Never one to lose an opportunity, the leader quickly turned emotional in the meeting, saying that the address he was giving could be his last for these elections since he might be thrown in jail. He said that he would file his nomination for the Kodangal constituency seat even if he was imprisoned, and urged the party activists to ensure his victory by a 50,000-vote majority. He then left for Hyderabad.

According to information, there was none in Revanth Reddy's Jubilee Hills residence except some workers. Reddy launched his election campaigning at 9:10 am at Kodangal, and at the same time an 11-member team of IT sleuths started the raids. The officials whisked away the wife of Reddy's brother A Kondal Reddy along with them to interrogate her at their office.

Tension prevailed at Reddy's residence once he reached it in the evening. Congress activists in huge numbers descended upon the place to stage a dharna protesting the raids, and the police had to be there in large numbers to see that no untoward incident took place. TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy, former CLP leader K Jana Reddy and several other party leaders, too, visited Revanth Reddy's residence and pledged their solidarity with him. They protestors also raised slogans against caretaker CM KCR and burnt his effigy, leading to heated arguments between the police and them.

Reddy made it clear that he would continue his fight to depose KCR. He alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and KCR were trying to keep him in jail by foisting false cases upon him, and as part of it got the IT department to raid his properties. He exuded confidence that nobody could stop his victory in Kodangal despite all the conspiracies being hatched.

Incidentally, Revanth Reddy had predicted that income tax officials would raid his real estate firm. He had alleged that the state and central governments were hatching a conspiracy to prevent him from campaigning for the upcoming elections.