Hyderabad: Denying there was any corruption in the organisation of Formula E race in Hyderabad last year, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president and former IT minister KT Rama Rao (KTR) called the Congress-led state government’s ACB case against him baseless and “politically motivated”. KTR said that he had done no wrong when the BRS was in power last year, and said he will prove his innocence.
Explaining the trail of transactions for the Formula E event in Hyderabad held by the previous government, KTR said that the then BRS-run Telangana government, through the Hyderabad Metropolitan Development Authority (HMDA), spent ₹30 crore. He added that private sponsor Ace Urban contributed ₹110 crore and claimed that an independent study by Nielsen concluded that the event generated an economic impact of ₹700 crore for Hyderabad.
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“The cancellation of subsequent races occurred due to the private sponsor’s financial constraints and the Congress government’s failure to honor contractual obligations,” said KTR. He added that HMDA had adhered to legal provisions, and funds were transparently transferred through government bank channels for Formula E.
The ex-IT minister also said that Hyderabad had gained global recognition through the Formula E event. “However, the Congress government’s inept handling of the situation caused reputational damage to Hyderabad and Telangana on the international stage,” said a statement from KTR’s office. He also challenged the state government to present evidence of corruption in the ongoing Assembly session.
“The Congress must focus on fulfilling its promises to the people instead of targeting the opposition with unfounded accusations. The people of Telangana deserve better governance,” said KTR.
