Hyderabad (Telangana) [India], August 8 : Union Minister Bandi Sanjay Kumar on Friday demanded that the Telangana government hand over the investigation into the alleged phone tapping during the previous BRS regime to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).
"It has been confirmed that judges' phones were tapped, right? Then, does the SIT even have the authority to summon judges and record their statements? Keeping this in mind, I demand that the phone tapping case be handed over to the CBI. If a letter is written to the CBI, they are ready to investigate," Bandi Sanjay told reporters after appearing before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case.
Bandi Sanjay alleged that his own phone was tapped under the pretext of Maoist activity, along with those of Chief Minister Revanth Reddy and several BRS MLAs during the KCR-led government.
"I appeared for questioning today as per the notice given by the SIT officials. It has come to light that my phones were being tapped every moment. I was even shocked to discover several things. They tapped the phones using the pretext of Maoists. Along with me, the phones of Revanth Reddy and BRS MLAs were also tapped. In fact, I was the first person to expose the issue of phone tapping," he said.
"I was shocked to hear the revelations made by the SIT police during the inquiry. Whatever political programs I planned, the police already knew about them in advance. They used to call our staff and ask, 'You are planning this particular program, right?' Now I understand--it was all because of the phone tapping. That's why, during KCR's regime, everyone used only WhatsApp calls. Even beggars wouldn't use regular phone calls--this shows the extent of atrocities under the BRS rule," the Karimnagar MP said.
He added that he has handed over all related information and evidence to the SIT.
The phone tapping issue had earlier triggered a political row in June this year, when BRS Working President KT Rama Rao (KTR) issued a legal notice to Telangana Congress chief Mahesh Kumar Goud over allegations.
As per the release, KTR stated that the Congress government, which has failed to implement any of its guarantees since coming to power, is now indulging in theatrics using fabricated issues like phone tapping. "Making such disgraceful and unfounded accusations against him and other BRS leaders, without a shred of evidence, is highly condemnable," he said.
KTR demanded that Mahesh Kumar Goud immediately issue an unconditional public apology. He emphasised that as a law-abiding citizen, he has even cooperated with inquiries into politically motivated cases filed against him.