Harish Rao accuses Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of tapping BRS leaders’ phones
BRS leader T Harish Rao accuses Chief Minister Revanth Reddy of phone-tapping and political surveillance, alleging misuse of State intelligence. He refutes drug case claims against KT Rama Rao and challenges the Congress government to an open Assembly debate
Hyderabad: Former Minister and senior BRS leader T Harish Rao has levelled serious allegations against Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, accusing the Congress government of illegally tapping phones of BRS leaders, journalists, and political aides.
He termed the Chief Minister’s allegations against BRS working president KT Rama Rao as a mere attempt at attention diversion from the Banakacherla project issue.
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In an informal interaction with media at Telangana Bhavan here, Harish said the phones of BRS leaders, including those of himself and KT Rama Rao, are under constant surveillance. He said the Revanth Reddy government was spying on them by misusing the State intelligence machinery.
“Our phones are being tapped and our movements monitored. Even journalists who speak to us are being tracked. How else does Revanth Reddy know who is talking to me?” he said.
Refuting recent allegations linking KT Rama Rao to drug cases, the BRS MLA demanded that Revanth Reddy either provide evidence or apologise publicly. He also condemned the attacks on BRS leaders and their homes, including Vemula Prashanth Reddy in the erstwhile Nizamabad district, on Thursday. He said BRS leaders were being targeted without a valid reason.
“Vulgar character assassinations and physical attacks will not go unanswered. We will not be silenced,” he declared, reminding that the BRS fought with many such challenges to realise Telangana statehood. He warned the Congress government of public backlash if constitutional values continue to be undermined.
The former Irrigation Minister said the Chief Minister was resorting to character assassination of Rama Rao as part of diversionary politics to cover up his secret deal with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu over the Banakacherla project.
Citing Andhra Pradesh Minister Nimmala Rama Naidu’s public confirmation and All India Radio’s news bulletin, he accused the Chief Minister of lying about the issue. “Revanth is suffering from a compulsive lying syndrome. But his lies stand exposed,” he said.
He challenged Revanth Reddy to a debate in the Assembly on irrigation and governance issues. “If you are honest and genuinely committed to Telangana’s development, convene the Assembly session and allow us to speak without disconnecting our mics,” he said, terming Revanth Reddy a traitor of Telangana who evades raising the slogan of ‘Jai Telangana’.
Harish rubbished Revanth Reddy’s claims of a midnight meeting between Rama Rao and Andhra Pradesh Minister Nara Lokesh. He said, unlike Revanth Reddy, Rama Rao has no habit of sneaking out at midnight, scaling walls, or making shady deals by carrying cash bags. He advised the Chief Minister to stop mudslinging and face Rama Rao in a public debate.
