Midnight notices issued on instructions from Davos, charges RS Praveen Kumar
BRS general secretary RS Praveen Kumar alleged political vendetta after receiving midnight notices from the SIT, claiming it was issued on Chief Minister’s instructions. He said notices were being used to intimidate Opposition leaders questioning the Congress government
Hyderabad: Alleging misuse of police machinery to intimidate the Opposition, Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) general secretary RS Praveen Kumar on Saturday said midnight notices were issued to him on the instructions of Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy from Davos, and asserted that he would not be silenced by such notices and would continue to raise his voice against what he termed political vendetta.
Addressing a press conference, Praveen Kumar said he did not indulge in personal abuse, did not use crude language, did not suppress facts and would not stop his fight against injustice. Within 12 hours of him condemning the harassment of senior BRS leaders KT Rama Rao and T Harish Rao by the second SIT headed by Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar, he was served a notice by the SIT at his residence around midnight on the directions of the Chief Minister, who is currently in Davos.
The notice, he said, warned him to submit a reply with evidence within two days, failing which civil and criminal action would be initiated. He had only shared with the public the information available with him and maintained that it was the responsibility of Opposition leaders to inform people on matters of public interest, a right guaranteed by the Constitution. He asserted that neither he nor the BRS had indulged in personal abuse or character assassination.
Stating that instead of issuing notices, the authorities should have established whether cases existed against Sajjanar or not. He recalled that on June 9, 2015, following the cash-for-vote case, several cases were registered across Andhra Pradesh alleging illegal phone tapping by the then Intelligence officials. Complaints were lodged against officers of that period, including Sajjanar, he said, adding that he had only referred to those facts.
Questioning how informing the public amounted to influencing an investigation, the leader said he had not spoken about the investigation itself, or commented on whether it was lawful or unlawful. He said he was fully aware that investigations were confidential and had consciously refrained from discussing them.
Listing what he described as failures and scandals of the Congress government, including the coal scam, HILT policy scam, illegal arrests of journalists, land deals, disputes among Ministers, check dams and the alleged blasting of the Medigadda barrage, he said notices were being used to suppress questions raised on these issues. Notices were earlier served on Harish Rao, followed by Rama Rao, and now on him, and questioned how long the government would continue governance through diversion tactics and intimidation.
Reiterating that telephone tapping had existed since the British era and continued legally even after Independence, he recalled that former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had acknowledged monitoring phones and emails to curb serious crimes and economic offences. He also pointed out that Revanth Reddy himself had stated in Delhi that phone tapping was routine. An earlier SIT headed by an ACP-level officer had examined 350 persons but found no evidence, following which a second SIT was constituted under Sajjanar.
While stating that anyone guilty in the phone tapping issue should be punished as per law, he questioned why unrelated political leaders were being subjected to prolonged questioning, media leaks, character assassination and harassment of family members. It was unjust that SIT officials were also selectively targeting retired IPS officer Prabhakar Rao, his family members, constables who had worked with him and even his relatives while leaving out the then DGP, Home Secretary and Chief Secretary-level officers.
He also pointed out that no notice had so far been issued to the Chief Minister based on the complaint he had lodged regarding phone tapping. Questioning the intent behind the investigation, Praveen Kumar said repeated notices to BRS leaders, media leaks, arrests of journalists and social media activists, and daily live commentary by Congress leaders at Gandhi Bhavan on an investigation that should be conducted behind closed doors raised serious questions.
He reiterated that no matter how many notices were issued, the BRS would continue to place facts before the people, asserting that the party, born out of a people’s movement, would not stop its struggle until what he described as government oppression and misrule were ended.
Also accusing the Congress government of looting Telangana in broad daylight, he said people were cheated in the name of declarations made at Chevella, Warangal, Kamareddy, Tukkuguda and Saroor Nagar. Promises including a job calendar for students, Rs.2,500 monthly assistance for women, Rs.4,000 pension for the elderly and Rs.15,000 under Rythu Bharosa were not fulfilled, while contract employees in Gurukuls were unpaid, 125 students died due to food poisoning and mental stress, and retired employees were denied pensions and retirement benefits, forcing elderly pensioners to protest in front of the Assembly.
On the other hand, despite past actions against Telangana’s water interests, former AP official Adityanath Das was appointed as an adviser to the Telangana government, and questioned the silence of Congress leaders on the Banakacherla project and Krishna river water sharing issues. While the previous BRS government had turned Singareni into a profit-making company, the present dispensation was indulging in irregularities in the name of tenders using certain media channels and officers as tools, he added.
