Formula E race corruption case: BRS leader Rama Rao appears before ACB

Rao, also known as KTR, was summoned by the ACB for questioning in a case related to 'unauthorised' payments to conduct Formula E race, on Thursday at 10 am

Ahead of his appearance before the Anti-Corruption Bureau, BRS Working President K T Rama Rao on Thursday said his agenda when he was minister in the previous regime was to make Hyderabad a pivotal hub for sustainable mobility as the world transitions towards it and Formula-E race was a part of that ambitious vision.

Rao, also known as KTR, was summoned by the ACB for questioning in a case related to the alleged "unauthorised" payments to conduct Formula E race, on Thursday at 10 AM.

"Worked tirelessly for bringing a prestigious event to India, to enhance the Brand image of Hyderabad & Telangana globally. Agenda was to make Hyderabad a pivotal hub for sustainable mobility as the world transitions towards it. Formula-E race was a part of the effort to realise this ambitious vision," he said in a post on 'X'.

He further said the intent was to make TMV (Telangana Mobility Valley) clusters the epicentre for innovation, research and manufacturing of electric vehicles creating employment and revenue, he further said.

"Small minds who are driven by petty politics may never understand any of this, but I am confident that people of Telangana who are observing everything will understand the truth and the vision. Truth always triumphs & justice will prevail," he said.

Later, talking to reporters, Rao said he has done no wrong in the Formula-E race issue and that his endeavour was to enhance the brand image of Hyderabad.

As minister during the previous BRS government, he did not do any corruption like the present Congress ministers, he said.

"The truth will come out eventually. We will continue to speak on people's issues," he said.

Rao, who launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and the ministers, said the cases filed by the Congress government would not divert the attention of BRS from speaking on public issues and the promises of the grand old party.

BRS would continue to fight till "Telangana is freed from the jaws of Congress," he said.

Rao said whatever he did as a minister in the previous government, it was in the state's interests and he was not involved in any corruption.

"As a son of Telangana soil, as an activist who fought for Telangana statehood and soldier of KCR (his father and BRS president K Chandrasekhar Rao), I say that I had made a lot of efforts to enhance Telangana's prestige and to put Hyderabad on the global map as a minister. Those efforts had borne fruit," he said.

He also said he has faith in the judiciary and would be ready to answer any questions.

"I say, as the son of KCR, that I will die for Telangana if necessary but not bow down before such persons," he said.

A large number of BRS leaders, including MLAs and former ministers, visited Rao's residence before he left for questioning. The BRS workers raised slogans hailing Rao.

The ACB on December 19 registered a case against Rao, over alleged payments, most of it in foreign currency without approvals, to conduct the race in February 2023 during the previous regime.

The case was registered under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption Act and IPC dealing with criminal misappropriation, criminal misconduct, criminal breach of trust and criminal conspiracy that allegedly resulted in loss to the government exchequer to the tune of about Rs 55 crore.

Though the race was supposed to be held in February 2024 as well, it was cancelled after the Congress government assumed office in December 2023.

Rao, who was Municipal Administration Minister during the previous BRS regime, was also summoned by the ED for questioning on January 16 over alleged irregularities in conducting the race in Hyderabad.

The FIR named Rao, an MLA now, as prime accused, senior IAS officer Arvind Kumar and retired bureaucrat BLN Reddy as accused no 2 and 3 respectively.