Praveen Kumar alleges intimidation by SIT in phone tapping case, asserts right to question probe

BRS general secretary RS Praveen Kumar alleged intimidation by the SIT probing the phone tapping case, saying he would not be silenced by notices. He questioned the need for the probe and defended his remarks as a constitutional right

Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi general secretary RS Praveen Kumar on Saturday alleged intimidation by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the phone tapping case, asserting that he would not be silenced by notices or warnings and would continue to raise his voice against what he termed as excesses and political vendetta.

In a statement, 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 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.

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The notice, he said, warned him to submit a reply with evidence within two days, failing which civil and criminal action would be initiated. Praveen Kumar asserted that speaking out on public issues and excesses was his constitutional right and that he was not afraid of threats. He said he would respond with the information available to him and added that the authorities could then act as they wished.

Reiterating the points he had raised at a media conference at Telangana Bhavan, Praveen Kumar said the law itself permitted telephone tapping in the interest of national security, internal security and prevention of organised crime, subject to strict guidelines and multi-level supervision. He recalled that former Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had stated this earlier and pointed out that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy had also said in Delhi that phone tapping was routine. In such a situation, he questioned the need for an SIT probe.

He rejected as false the claim in the notice that he had demanded the formation of another SIT to probe cases registered against Sajjanar in Andhra Pradesh. What he had stated, he said, was that after Revanth Reddy, then a TDP MLA, was caught on camera in the cash-for-vote case, there were widespread media reports in June 2015 about the Telangana Intelligence wing tapping the phones of Andhra Pradesh leaders, leading to the registration of cases in several police stations in Andhra Pradesh and the constitution of an SIT there as well.

Praveen Kumar said he was aware that Sajjanar had served in the Telangana Intelligence wing during that period and, therefore, he had expressed the opinion that it was not ethically appropriate for him to head the second Telangana SIT probing the phone tapping issue. He said expressing such an opinion was his constitutional right and that, as an Opposition party leader, it was his responsibility to bring such suppressed facts before the public. He said those who disagreed were free to offer an explanation.

He also said he had demanded SIT probes into several alleged scams of the Revanth Reddy government, including the coal scam, and had advised police officers not to become pawns in what he described as the political games of Revanth Reddy and the Congress.

It was unjust that SIT officials were 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 said he had also warned that frequent public discussion of an operation that should remain highly confidential and restricted to a few senior officers was dangerous.

Stating that he had neither indulged in nor would indulge in character assassination of any officer or political leader, including Sajjanar, Praveen Kumar said such a culture was alien to him. He alleged that Rama Rao, Harish Rao and several other BRS leaders had been subjected to severe character assassination over the past two years under what he termed as the vindictive rule of the Revanth Reddy government, but police had failed to act despite repeated complaints. BRS leaders were victims in this matter, he said, asserting that the party’s fight against government repression would continue and that they would not be intimidated by notices.

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.

 

నేను వ్యక్తిగత దూషణలు చేయను-చిల్లర భాషను వాడను – వాస్తవాలు దాచను – దౌర్జన్యాలకు వ్యతిరేకంగా పోరాటం ఆపను.

ఫోన్ ట్యాపింగ్ వ్యవహారం లో మా @BRSparty సీనియర్ నాయకులు @KTRBRS @BRSHarish గార్లకు ఆ వ్యవహారంలో సంబంధం లేకున్నా నోటీసులు ఇచ్చి @CPHydCity @SajjanarVC గారి నేతృత్వంలో…

— Dr.RS Praveen Kumar (@RSPraveenSwaero) January 24, 2026