KCR ‘admitted’ to phone tapping in MLAs’ poaching case, says Congress MLA

MLA Yennem Srinivas Reddy accuses K. Chandrasekhar Rao of phone tapping, challenges legal notices from BRS working president.

Mahabubnagar MLA Yennem Srinivas Reddy argued that BRS chief K. Chandrasekhar Rao himself had admitted to phone tapping when he displayed the video footage of BJP agents trying to ‘buy out’ the then BRS MLAs.

At a press conference here, he claimed that KCR as Chief Minister then had admitted in a press conference about how they were trapped and their phones were tapped. In fact, even the video footage of the alleged trap was also displayed to the media. It is evident from that day itself that the BRS government was into phone tapping, he argued.

Mr. Reddy alleged that Pragathi Bhavan (now Mahatma Phule Praja Bhavan) was the epicentre of phone tapping. Police officials indulged in the illegal activity under the directions of the then Chief Minister. Even the then DGP was not aware of a special team formed for phone tapping. Phones of terrorists are tapped for national security, but never were the phones of Opposition leaders tapped, he said.

Mr. Srinivas Reddy said that the legal notices sent to him by BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao show his ignorance of law or administrative knowledge. “After reading reports about phone tapping in the media I approached the DGP to enquire whether my phone was also being tapped. What is wrong in requesting the DGP to enquire, owing to my suspicion,” he asked. Mr Reddy said he would not be cowed down by such legal notices.

The MLA said the accused officers have already revealed how they had transported money in their vehicles. If this is proved to be true then all the BRS MLAs will lose their membership from the Assembly, he said, recalling how Indira Gandhi was disqualified by the Allahabad High Court for using her official vehicles to travel. Mr. Reddy said K.T. Rama Rao should be sent legal notices for making baseless allegations that Chief Minister Revanth Reddy had paid ‘tax’ of ₹2,500 crore to New Delhi.