- Telangana lawmaker K Kavitha suspended from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi for "anti-party" comments
- She blamed cousin Harish Rao for a federal probe against her father and ex-Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao
- She accused Rao and others of colluding with Congress Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to tarnish KCR's image
Telangana lawmaker K Kavitha has been suspended from the Bharat Rashtra Samithi - the party run by her father and former Chief Minister, K Chandrashekar Rao - after she publicly blamed senior BRS leader T Harish Rao, her cousin, for the federal investigation against KCR, as her father is called.
In a statement Tuesday afternoon, BRS leaders T Ravinder Rao and Soma Bharat Kumar said action had been taken against K Kavitha over recent comments seen as "anti-party".
"Party leadership is taking this matter seriously as recent behaviour and ongoing anti-party activities of MLC K Kavitha are damaging the BRS," the party said on X, "Therefore, party President K Chandrasekhar Rao has decided to suspend K Kavitha with immediate effect."
Supporters of Ms Kavitha launched a protest shortly after news of her suspension. Ravi Rathod, the Youth Vice President of the Telangana Jagruthi told news agency ANI, "Injustice has been done..."
The Telangana Jagruthi is a social and cultural organisation Ms Kavitha started during the agitation to carve ouf the state from the former undivided Andhra Pradesh.
On Monday Ms Kavitha accused Harish Rao - the Irrigation Minister when the BRS was in power, back in 2014 - and ex-Rajya Sabha MP J Santosh Kumar for colluding with the current Chief Minister - the Congress' A Revanth Reddy - to accumulate assets and tarnish KCR's image.
"We have to think about why the taint of corruption came to KCR. Some who are close to KCR benefited in many ways by making use of his name," she had said, adding, "Did Harish Rao, who was Irrigation Minister for five years, not have a major role in this?"
She said that was why Mr Rao did not continue as Irrigation Minister in KCR's second term.
She also claimed Revanth Reddy was 'protecting' Harish Rao and Santosh Kumar, suggesting they were 'hand-in-glove' to target KCR. Ms Kavitha said her father would emerge 'as pure as a pearl' from the CBI inquiry, and added that it hurt her, as his child, to see him face this ordeal.
K Kavitha's allegations came a day after the Congress-led government in Telangana handed an investigation into alleged irregularities concerning the Kaleshwaram project to the CBI.
READ | K Kavitha Blames Cousin For Probe Against KCR, Brother KTR Praises Him
Significantly, BRS Working President KT Rama Rao - Ms Kavitha's brother - chose that day to praise Mr Rao, calling his arguments during a discussion on the PC Ghose Commission Report - on investigated irregularities in the design and construction of the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project - a 'master class'.
Ms Kavitha's relationship with her father's party has been on the rocks for some time now.
In July KTR appeared to sideline Ms Kavitha in appointing Koppula Eashwar as the party's in-charge for an influential coal miners' union.
K Kavitha had served as the Honorary President of that union and the decision added fuel, once again, to speculation about the KTR vs Kavitha power struggle in the party.
The 'BRS vs BRS' squabble broke out in May too, after K Kavitha took exception to a private letter - which she wrote to her father, KCR - being leaked, allegedly by someone close to her brother.
READ | 'KCR Is God, Surrounded By Some Devils': K Kavitha On Letter Leak
In that letter she had referred to 'conspiracies' being hatched within the BRS to target KCR
Asked who might be behind the 'conspiracy', she said: "KCR ji is a god. But, there are some devils around him. A lot of damage is being caused because of them. I am KCR's daughter. If the letter by me internally became public, there should be a debate about the fate of others."
READ | "No Differences": K Kavitha To NDTV On Reports Of Rift With KTR
Ms Kavitha later told NDTV she has "no differences" with KTR. Indeed, she claimed a "special relationship" with the former state minister and her brother. "I have absolutely no qualms about admitting it... I've said it twice and I'm saying it again," she also said in that exclusive interview, doubling down on talk of 'vested interests' trying to damage her reputation within the BRS.
In the past she has hinted at a patriarchal mindset in political parties and told NDTV her party is no exception. This was in the context of the Women's Reservation Bill, when she admitted the BRS also did not give adequate tickets to women to fight elections.
NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.
