Rajhmundary, August 05: Kovvur MLA T V Rama Rao alleged that he was made a scapegoat in the power politics being played out in the State. He said that he would continue his legal battle against the Y S Rajasekhara Reddy Government over his illegal arrest and raise the issue in Assembly.
The MLA who is facing charges of rape and murder of a nursing student and was lodged in Central Jail here on July 20 was released on conditional bail on Tuesday.
The MLA’s release was greeted by a large number of TDP men gathered at the central and jail.
The MLA was taken in a procession to his constituency Kovvur.
The MLA said that for the first time, CB-CID completed the investigation of his case within a month and foisted him in several cases. It was nothing but a ploy by the YSR Governments against opposition MLAs, he added.
He said that though his health was deteriorating, he was taken to Vijayawada, Guntur, Kakinada and at last lodged in Central jail. He said that he was treated as a common prisoner in the jail and he had no food for three days due to ill health. The MLA said that he would attend the Assembly sessions and air the problems of Kovvur constituency.
District judge and in-charge of first additional district court Baktavatsalam sanctioned the conditional bail to the Kovvur MLA at Eluru on Monday.
Earlier speaking to mediapersons here former Union Minister and TDP MLA S Venugopalachary alleged that Rajasekhara Reddy has been trying to woo opposition party MLAs in one way or another as his party won with a simple majority of 1.5 per cent.
He alleged that YSR has been acting like a factionist and has used the Kovvur MLA’s case as a means to divert attention from the burning issues like increase in prices of essential commodities and the prevailing drought conditions.
The MLA said that the Congress Government has failed to allot funds for the various welfare schemes. Puttaparthy MLA P Ragunatha Reddy alleged that over 160 TDP activists lost their lives during the Congress rule. He expressed surprise over the intervention of the CM’s peshi in Kovvur MLA Rama Rao’s case.
Sullurpet MLA Parsa Ratnam alleged that the YSR Government has been trying to suppress Dalit leaders of opposition parties. He said Rajasekhara Reddy has failed to protect the interest of Dalits.
Former Minister Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary said that the State Government has failed to control the prices of essential commodities. He attributed the present increase in prices of essential commodities to online trading.
–Agencies–