KTR terms phone-tapping case diversion tactic, warns of action against character assassination

BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao dismissed the phone-tapping case as politically motivated, accusing the Congress government of using the probe to divert attention from unfulfilled promises and alleged scams, even as he appeared before the SIT for questioning.

Hyderabad: Dismissing the phone tapping case as baseless and politically motivated, BRS working president KT Rama Rao said the notices were part of a conspiracy to divert public attention from the Congress government’s failures.

“There is nothing in this case, and we have no connection to it. Intelligence gathering is part of policing, and as a Minister, I have no role. Even if I am summoned ten more times, I will appear,” he said.

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Asserting that he had committed no wrongdoing, he said he was not afraid of any investigation and would answer every question posed by the SIT.

Minutes before appearing before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) at the Jubilee Hills Police Station on Friday, Rama Rao accused Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy of indulging in political vendetta to deflect focus from the unfulfilled six guarantees, 420 promises and alleged irregularities in Singareni coal contracts. He said the government was enacting a daily drama in the State and reduced governance to a spectacle.

He also alleged sustained attempts over the past two years to malign his personal reputation and said he would raise these issues during the inquiry.

“They said I was a drug addict, had affairs with actresses, accused me of tapping their phones and also dragged my family into unnecessary controversies for political gain. They gave select leaks to the media, without any evidence and used it for their political goals. I will not let them go scot-free. I need answers. They have to pay for their sins,” he added.

Referring to former Minister T Harish Rao’s recent questioning in the phone-tapping case shortly after he exposed Singareni coal tenders scam, the BRS working president said the probe was being conducted like a daily serial to target opposition leaders for exposing alleged scams.

The BRS would continue to question the government for its promises to the people and failures, he said.