Bhumana slams govt. will stand by my version

Tirupati, April 17: Former TTD Chairman Bhumana Karunakar Reddy said that the coalition government could not take up his challenge due to fear and did not allow him and other YSRCP leaders to Gosala and reaffirmed that he stands by his version on the large-scale deaths of cows. 

Speaking to the media here on Thursday, he said that since morning, a big posse of police had swarmed our house and did not allow us to go to the Gosala to prove our version. We said five members of our Party, including MP Gurumoorthy, former ministers Narayanaswamy, RK Roja, and our MLC, would be visiting the Gosala to accept the challenge of the ruling coalition, but were not allowed.

In protest against the police move, we have staged a sit-in, and the Superintendent of Police said he would allow only you after the ruling party delegation leaves, he said, adding that Chandragiri and Srikalahasti MLAs called me on the phone and said they were waiting for me. When I told him about the police, he negated it, and the police did not yield.

I still stand by what I said on the issue, and even the TTD version is that 170 cows died since June 2025, after the coalition government took office, though the figure I have is much more, he said.

TDP is trying to project that we did not accept their challenge, but I am ready to go to the Gosala with five members and prove our version. 

There were contradictory remarks by TDP leaders and TTD officials, but I still stand by my challenge to dig out the carcasses of cows. 

It was during the YS Jagan Mohan Reddy government that a Vigilance probe was ordered, and former EO Jawahar Reddy is a Veterinary doctor. We have brought 550 cows from various places in the country to enrich the Gosala. 

The present government has been functioning in a manner that is not in tandem with the sanctity of the shrine, and numerous initiatives taken up by our government were discontinued in vengeance and have been levelled false, baseless and derogatory remarks against me and our leadership, he said. There have been many unsavoury incidents atop the hill, from liquor to food and assaults.

Even eleven months after assuming power, the government could not prove a single allegation, he said.

I still stand by my version and am prepared to go to the Gosala with four other leaders to prove our version any time now, he said.