PCC chief Botsa Satyanarayana denied ever having said he owned liquor shops anywhere in the state.

Speaking to media persons in Delhi today, Botsa reminded journalists of what he had said in the recent past. “I only said my relatives, family members and friends owned liquor shops,” he clarified. “I also asked them to run the shops as per the rules,” he said, adding they never disobeyed the rules in their liquor trade.

Visibly shaken by the TDP chief Chandrababu Naidu’s continuous criticism against him, Botsa said he has not kept any thing secret from any one like Naidu. “This is the difference between me and Naidu,” Botsa claimed indirectly hinting he is a perfect politician free of corruption.

Referring to the news reports that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had cancelled his scheduled trip to Hyderabad on Feb 4 to inaugurate the Rajiv Yuva Kiranalu programme, he said the reports are wrong. “The Prime Minister had some doubts and I had clarified,” said Botsa.

A section of the media had earlier said that the PM had cancelled his proposed visit to the state and Botsa requested Dr Manmohan Singh to reconsider his decision. “If you don’t undertake the visit, the state government will lose its credibility,” Botsa was said to have indicated to the PM when he met the latter along with his MP-wife, according to reports. (JUBS)