SANGAREDDY/HYDERABAD: Alleging that the previous BRS government arrested TPCC chief A Revanth Reddy after tapping his phones, BJP leader M Raghunandan Rao on Tuesday demanded a probe either by a sitting high court judge or CBI into the phone-tapping scandal.
“Revanth Reddy is the first victim of phone tapping. I am the second victim,” he said.
The BJP leader claimed that phones of the then finance minister T Harish Rao’s wife as well as that of MLC K Kavitha’s husband were also tapped.
Speaking to reporters here, Raghunandan Rao demanded that the then Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao be arrested in the phone-tapping case. “KCR should be named A-1 and Harish Rao A-2 in the case” he said and added that “arresting a few police officials was not sufficient”.
He alleged that the BJP candidate Komatireddy Rajgopal Reddy lost the bypoll because his phones too were tapped.
Alleging that phone-tapping was started back in 2014, he wondered how the officials, who were facing charges, were allowed to go to the USA.
‘Revanth, Harish Rao travelled together’
Raghunandan also alleged that on March 19, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and former finance minister T Harish Rao travelled in the same flight. “They should disclose what they spoke during the two-hour journey,” he said. He also said that he is ready to provide evidence if the government sends notices to him on phone-tapping case.
Kishan demands action against accused officials
Meanwhile, BJP state president and Union Tourism Minister G Kishan Reddy demanded that action be taken against the accused officials in the phone-tapping case.
Addressing the media in Hyderabad, he said that the actions of the accused officials were “wicked” in nature and in violation of the fundamental rights of citizens provided by the Constitution.
Kishan claimed that during the BRS regime, phones were tapped, people were blackmailed and crores of rupees extorted from them.
Stating that phone-tapping is permissible only when it concerns national security and that too with the permission of higher authorities, he said: “During the 2019 parliamentary elections, they collected details by tapping phones. They surrounded us like terrorists during the campaigning.”
Referring to BRS working president KT Rama Rao claiming that MLC K Kavitha was arrested in false cases, Kishan Reddy said that Kavita’s arrest has nothing to do with the politics and people of Telangana.
“If there is no involvement of Kavitha in the liquor scam, if this is an illegal case and if it is a case of political bias, KCR should come to the public and prove it,” he said.
During BRS regime, people were blackmailed and crores extorted, says Kishan Reddy
BJP state president G Kishan Reddy claimed that during the BRS regime, phones were tapped, people were blackmailed and crores of rupees extorted. Stating that phone-tapping is permissible only when it concerns national security and that too with the permission of higher authorities, he said: “During the 2019 parliamentary elections, they collected details by tapping phones. They surrounded us like terrorists during the campaigning.” Referring to BRS working president KTR claiming that MLC Kavitha was arrested in false cases, Kishan said that Kavita’s arrest has nothing to do with the politics and people of Telangana.
