KTR denies role in phone tapping, demands probe into such allegations levelled since 2004

Rama Rao warned to initiate legal action against the Ministers including the Chief Minister for making baseless allegations against him on the issue.

Hyderabad: BRS working president KT Rama Rao categorically denied any involvement in phone tapping or other illegal activities during the BRS regime. He challenged the State government to investigate into phone tapping allegations since 2004, accusing Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and other Congress leaders of ‘leaking’ information without making any official statements and orchestrating a smear campaign against him.

Rama Rao warned to initiate legal action against the Ministers including the Chief Minister for making baseless allegations against him on the issue. On Wednesday, he served legal notices to Minister Konda Surekha, Congress MLA Yennam Srinivas Reddy and Congress leader KK Mahender Reddy in this regard, demanding for their public apology or face legal action.

“I have no interest to tap the phones of individuals. Let me remind all that I received a notification from Apple alerting that my iPhone was under government surveillance, which was shared on social media. Not just me, many other opposition leaders like Asaduddin Owaisi also received similar notifications,” he said, urging the government to identify the perpetrators and victims of phone tapping incidents.

Speaking at a press conference here, the BRS working president challenged Revanth Reddy to conduct a thorough investigation into phone tapping incidents since 2004. He urged the government to widen the ambit to include phone tapping allegations made by the then Congress MPs including current Minister Ponnam Prabhakar and Komatireddy Venkat Reddy in 2011 against the then Congress government.

While the governments changed, Rama Rao pointed out that the same officials worked across different governments. He questioned whether senior police officials like DGP Ravi Gupta, DG Intelligence Shivadhar Reddy, and TSPSC Chairman M Mahender Reddy, who served in the Intelligence wing in various capacities under different regimes, were also questioned with regard to the phone tapping. “If we believe that phone tapping took place, will none of these officers have any knowledge of this,” he asked.

In a sharp retort to the Chief Minister’s remarks likening BRS chief K Chandrashekhar Rao and the party to invalid currency, Rama Rao reminded that people were aware of validity of the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi who lost his family stronghold Amethi constituency and was now struggling to hold on to Wayanad. Citing INDIA bloc partners including TMC chief Mamata Banerjee’s statement, he said the Congress allies themselves doubted whether the party would surpass 40 MP seats in ensuing Lok Sabha polls.

In response to Revanth Reddy’s jibe that Chandrashekhar Rao should have informed him about withering crops in advance, the BRS working president gave an equally sarcastic reply stating that henceforth, the BRS would foresee the future and update him about farmers suicides, withering crops and also natural calamities to occur in the State.

“If Revanth Reddy is the man he claims to be, he must deliver his promises. Apart from providing Rs.25 lakh compensation to farmers who committed suicide under the Congress regime, he must deliver his electoral promise and waive off crop loans upto Rs 2 lakh immediately,” he challenged, alleging that the Chief Minister was indulging in attention diversion tactics by accusing the BRS regime for scams, rather than delivering his promises.

On disqualification of BRS MLAs Danam Nagender and Kadiyam Srihari who defected to the ruling Congress, Rama Rao said the party had already submitted representation to Assembly Speaker Gaddam Prasad and would wait till the weekend for his decision. “As per the Supreme Court verdict, the Speaker should take a decision on the defecting MLAs within three months. Thus, both Nagender and Srihari will attract a disqualification and bye-elections will be held for both Khairatabad and Station Ghanpur soon,” he said, adding that in case of any further delay, the party will take approach the High Court for necessary action.