Mopidevi refuses to resign

Excise Minister Mopidevi Venkata Ramana has refused to resign from the post following allegations that he received bribe from the liquor syndicate.

Talking to reporters at the State Secretariat after meeting Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy, the minister denied the allegations and said that the inclusion of his name in the report of Anti-Corruption Bureau was part of a larger conspiracy.

It may be mentioned that in the remand report of an ACB dealer Nunna Venkata Ramana, the accused has alleged that he personally paid bribe of Rs 10 lakh to the Excise Minister. However, Mopidevi denied receiving any bribe and made it clear that he would not resign based on the allegations made a person with criminal background. Claiming that there was not truth in the allegations, he said that he was ready for any kind of probe.

Mopidevi criticised the ACB officials for including his name based on the confessional statement of an accused. "Will they also include the names of President of India or the Chief Minister, if some accused names them in a scam?" he questioned.

The Excise Minister said that the ACB should have questioned him before including his name. However, he said he was ready to face any action if proved guilty