HYDERABAD: With the Assembly elections fast approaching, the political heat is slowly but steadily rising in the State. On Thursday, two of the State’s top politicians -- TRS leader and IT Minister in caretaker government KT Rama Rao and Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee chief N Uttam Kumar Reddy, were involved in a virtual war of words on Twitter after the latter accused police of ‘illegally snooping on Opposition leaders’.This is not the first time both leaders have fought on the social networking site.
Congress leader Uttam Kumar Reddy alleged two senior police officers, calling them ‘uncles’ of Rama Rao, were snooping on Opposition leaders and Rama Rao retorted by asking not to bring the “community” into picture.
It all started in the morning when Uttam Kumar Reddy tweeted that “KTR’s uncle DIG Prabhakar Rao and his cronies are snooping illegally on all opposition leaders including me during this election campaign. They are brazenly violating all known election norms for free and fair polls.”
He urged the Election Commission of India to take serious cognisance of this matter.
In another tweet, Uttam further alleged that “another KTR’s uncle Radhakishan Rao (DCP, Task Force) has tasked his taskforce to specifically search (harass) cars of Opposition leaders only. All these illegal and partisan acts by KTR’s uncles now, will be dealt with very severely by the next government led by the Congress”.
Reacting sharply to Uttam’s allegations, KTR shot back on twitter saying: “Stop being downright crass & cheap @UttamTPCC. Are you insinuating that everyone who belong to a community is related and biased? I understand your anxiety about cars being searched (as in 2014 when you were caught with `3 crore cash stash), at least uphold dignity of the post you hold.” In another tweet, Rama Rao said: “For your information Uttam Kumar Reddy Garu, Telangana Police headed by Telangana DGP Mahendar Reddy Garu has been consistently rated as the best and a role model to the country in maintaining law and order.
Let’s not unnecessarily politicise and demoralise hard working Telangana officers??”
Reacting to KT Rama Rao’s replies, Uttam Kumar Reddy again tweeted in the evening: “We don’t need a lecture in being/not being crass from people who made their political careers by using abusive, filthy and uncouth language. Everyone in Telangana knows what a motormouth KCR is, how your cousin (Harish Rao) beat up a policeman and how you’ve verbally abused Police. Let all watch.”
Uttam also tweeted the old videos of Harish Rao and KT Rama Rao.
Ten minutes after the TPCC chief’s tweet KTR retorted: “Where were you when we were in the thick of agitation? Oh I forgot, busy hanging on to coattails of the then CMs and looting exchequer.
“I am proud of my role in the fight for Telangana and will cherish it. I’ve publicly apologised to the cop but will you own up to `3 crore burnt cash?”