BJP candidate for Dubbaka by-poll Raghunandan Rao alleges phone tapping, demands probe

Hyderabad: BJP state spokesman M Raghunandan Rao has approached Election Commission and Ministry of Home Affairs alleging phone tapping by the Telangana government.

Raghunandan Rao, who is a BJP candidate for Dubbaka assembly seat, alleged that Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and finance Minister T Harish Rao in connivance with the police department and intelligence agencies are harassing him and his followers.

Rao has asked the Election Commission and Ministry of Home Affairs to order an inquiry against state Home Secretary and the Director General of Police.

Citing the incident in which Rs 40 lakh cash was seized by the police at Shameerpet in Hyderabad two days ago, he said it proves that he was being harassed by the state government and the law enforcement agencies.

Two days ago, Cyberabad police seized Rs 40 lakh cash. They initially announced that the cash was proceeds of a land deal, but later found that the cash belonged to Rao and was meant for distribution in Dubbaka to woo the voters.

Rao, who is the official spokesperson of the party in Telangana had unsuccessfully contested from Dubbaka assembly constituency in 2018. Last year he contested Lok Sabha polls from Medak constituency.

The by-election was necessitated after the death of S Ramalinga Reddy. Since the election schedule was announced, he along with his followers and party workers had been camping in Dubbaka.

He alleged that the state government, police department, intelligence agencies are keeping a tab on his activities and that of his followers