Will fully cooperate, Telangana will not bow down; BRS MLC Kavitha on ED summons

HYDERABAD: Telangana has never and will never bow before the oppressive anti-people regime, said Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) MLC Kavitha Kalvakuntala on Wednesday in response to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) notice issued to her in connection with the Delhi liquor policy scam case.

The ED has summoned Kavitha to appear before it for questioning on March 9, significantly a day ahead of her planned dharna at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on March 10. The BRS MLC called for the agitation in the national capital to press for the 33 percent women’s reservation bill in Parliament.

In a statement posted on her Twitter handle, Kavitha said that she would cooperate with the investigating agencies as a law-abiding citizen. She however stated that she would seek legal opinion on the date of attending the ED questioning due to the planned dharna and other pre-fixed commitments.

The ED choosing to serve the notice on Kavitha for questioning, just a day ahead of her planned Jantar Mantar dharna on March 10, evoked strong condemnation from the BRS rank and file. Party leaders saw a sinister motive behind the move, which, they said, was aimed at scuttling the opposition agitation on the women’s bill and intimidating Kavitha into submission.

Kavitha, in her statement posted on her Twitter handle, said, "Ahead of our March 10 dharna along with the opposition parties and women organisations demanding the Women's Reservation Bill at Jantar Mantar, I have been summoned by the ED on March 9, 2023.

The statement further said, "The women's reservation bill has been long-pending; our only demand is to table it in parliament to give women their due share of political participation. Bharath Jagruthi, along with opposition parties and women’s organisations from all across the country, will come together on March 10 at Jantar Mantar for a one-day peaceful hunger strike, demanding the BJP government introduce and pass the "Women’s Reservation Bill."

"In light of these events, I have been summoned by the Enforcement Directorate to appear on March 9th in New Delhi. As a law-abiding citizen, I will fully cooperate with the investigation agencies. However, due to the Dharna and prefixed appointments, I’ll seek legal opinions on the date of attending it", her statement read.

Sounding unruffled and defiant, she asserted that Telangana had never and would never bow before the oppressive anti-people regime. "I would also like the ruling party at the Centre to know that these tactics of intimidation against the fight and voice of our leader, Chief Minister KCR, and against the entire BRS Party will not deter us. Under the leadership of KCR Garu, we will continue to fight to expose your failures & raise voices for a brighter and better future for India. Let me also remind the power mongers in Delhi that Telangana has never and will never bow before the oppressive anti people regime. We will fearlessly and fiercely fight for the rights of the people".