BRS urges Governor to dismiss Ponguleti
Opposition Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) on Monday urged Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla to dismiss revenue minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy over allegations of illegal mining and land grabbing.
A delegation of BRS MLAs and MLCs led by party working president K. T. Rama Rao met the Governor and submitted a formal complaint seeking an inquiry into the alleged illegal mining and land grabbing activities of the minister.
The delegation presented evidence related to large-scale irregularities, including illegal mining operations and unlawful land encroachments linked to the minister.
The delegation demanded the immediate dismissal of minister Srinivas Reddy and called for an independent judicial inquiry, preferably under the supervision of a sitting High Court judge, to ensure transparency and justice.
BRS leaders alleged that Raghava Constructions, a company linked to the minister, has been carrying out illegal mining activities in violation of established norms, including operations in restricted zones such as catchment areas of twin reservoirs.
They further stated that these activities were being conducted without mandatory clearances such as mineral dealer licenses, pollution control approvals, electricity permissions, and industrial clearances, resulting in the loss of hundreds of crores worth of public resources.
The delegation also pointed out that when these issues were raised in the Assembly, the ruling Congress government chose to suspend and expel BRS MLAs and MLCs instead of addressing the allegations.
They noted that even the government had admitted in the Assembly that notices were issued to Raghava Constructions, thereby acknowledging irregularities.
After meeting the Governor, Rama Rao told media that a legislative committee comprising MLAs and MLCs should be constituted to investigate the matter, or alternatively, a fully independent judicial probe must be ordered.
He expressed lack of confidence in state agencies such as CB-CID, especially when the Chief Minister himself holds the Home portfolio.
He further stated that since Srinivas Reddy is a serving minister, there is a clear risk of influencing any inquiry conducted by the state government, and hence, he must be removed from office immediately.
The BRS leaders urged the Governor to intervene in the interest of justice and direct an impartial investigation, either through a sitting High Court judge or central agencies.
KTR also criticised the silence of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the issue, stating that it has failed to exert any pressure on the state government so far.
He accused Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy of backtracking on his promise to order inquiries into corruption allegations and questioned his inaction despite evidence being presented against the minister.
KTR challenged the Chief Minister to demonstrate integrity by ordering a probe not only into Ponguleti’s alleged scams but also into multiple other issues, including the Amrut scam, phone tapping case, Singareni irregularities, and Hyderabad industrial land policy violations.
