TRS Ministers Get I-T Notices For Foul Play- ‘Gulabi Coolie’

The Income Tax department issued notices to Telangana ministers KT Rama Rao, T Harish Rao, Deputy CM Mahmood Ali, Etela Rajender, former MP Kalvakuntla Kavitha, and others over a complaint filed by Congress MP Revanth Reddy, the source reported.

In April 2017, TRS had initiated a unique party fundraiser 'Gulabi Coolie' for their plenary and public meeting was grandly held in Warangal. To collect funds, TRS leaders engaged in manual labour and their wage was contributed to the party's fund.

For instance, KTR served ice creams and juice and made earnings of Rs 7 lakh within an hour at a parlour. Labour Minister Malla Reddy bought ice creams from KTR for Rs 5 lakh, while the ice-cream parlour owner Sudhir paid Rs 1 lakh and another TRS leader donated Rs 1 lakh.

Similarly, several other ministers and MPs worked as coolies and collected lakhs of rupees as ‘wages’.

Alleging foul play in the whole campaign and viewing that the program was nothing but extortion, Revanth Reddy who was with the TDP had filed a complaint and approached the Delhi High Court.

Based on his complaint, the Delhi High Court issued directions to the I-T department to investigate the allegations.

Responding to the issue, former MP and state planning board vice-chairman B Vinod Kumar said that the I-T department issuing notice doesn't mean they violated any law.

However, according to Revanth Reddy, the controversial campaign violated rules. He said that as per rules, the ministers who are paid salaries should not earn money by performing other tasks.