Hyderabad: There is no criminal freedom in a democracy, said CM Revanth Reddy. In his address at the presentation of Ravi Narayana Reddy National award function at Hyderabad.

He presented this award to retired Supreme Court Judge Justice B Sudershan Reddy by Telangana Martyrs Memorial Trust. He said that anyone must face investigation for mistakes committed by him or her. Revanth Reddy indirectly referring to the examination of former CM KCR in the alleged phone-tapping case.

He also said that in a democratic process, there is freedom for people and public representatives to express themselves within the limits of democracy, but there is no freedom to commit crime and demand that no investigation should be conducted.

There is no criminal freedom in a democracy. Telangana society should understand this distinction. When thousands of crores of rupees and hundreds of acres of land are illegally looted, investigation is essential. Have CMs such as Shibu Soren, J Jayalalithaa and Yediyurappa not faced investigation? We are not gods. In a democracy, anyone should face investigation for the mistakes committed by them, he added.

Revanth criticised what he described as attempts by some individuals to project themselves as the Father of Telangana and as Telangana activists.

The police issued a notice to KCR, but they are saying that a notice to KCR means a notice to the entire Telangana society, he said. They are also asking why Telangana activists are being insulted. Is Kodandaram not an activist? Kodandaram united all sections of people during the Telangana agitation. But the previous Government harassed and insulted Kodandaram by arresting him after breaking open the doors of his residence, he added.

Agitators Che Guevara to Ravi Narayana Reddy, had sacrificed their lives and assets for the people, he said. But, the KCR family had assumed all posts and accumulated large farmhouses, thousands of crores of rupees, TV channels and newspapers. Then I do not understand how KCR can be called the Father of Telangana or a Telangana activist.

If you are the agitator and Father of Telangana, then what should we call people like Ravi Narayana Reddy, Kodandaram and Justice Sudershan Reddy? he questioned.