Phone tapping allegation rocks AP, Chandrababu Naidu urges Modi to order probe

Vijayawada: Former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister and Telugu Desam Party (TDP) National President Nara Chandrababu Naidu has sent an SOS to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him to order an inquiry into the alleged phone tapping of Opposition leaders, journalists, judges by YS Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government.

In a letter, Naidu urged to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take stringent action against Jagan Reddy-led Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) and some private persons for resorting to illegal activities that pose a threat to national security.

He urged Modi to order a probe by a competent authority into the alleged phone tapping in Andhra Pradesh.

TDP chief said that the ruling party and private individuals were using technology and illegal software to tap phones of the Opposition leaders, judges, journalists, and social activists.

“This is a violation of the Articles 19 and 21 that provide for fundamental rights of citizens. The ruling YSRCP is intimidating and blackmailing the opponents and dissenting voices,” he said.

Naidu said these illegal activities were posing a serious threat to the right to privacy in the state.

He said even private individuals were using cutting edge technology and equipment to unlawfully tap the phones.

“If these nefarious activities were not put to an end, they would proliferate and emerge as bigger threat to national security and sovereignty of the country. If the governments and private persons involved in such illegal activities were not restrained, they would attack and undermine the democratic institutions that were painstakingly built over decades of hard work in the country,” he said.

Naidu noted that systematic efforts were being made to deny fundamental rights and perpetuate oppression in the state.

“As per the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885 (Sec 5 (2)) and Information Technology Act 2000 (Sec 69), phone tapping is to be strictly used only in times of a threat to national security or the country's sovereignty or to national integration or when friendly relations with foreign countries are under threat,” he said.

Naidu said many constitutional institutions in AP have come under attack since YSRCP came to power.

“Systematic attacks were made on the State Election Commission (SEC), AP Public Service Commission (APPSC), and other institutions. Threats were being issued to Opposition leaders, judges, media, social activists and all those who raise a dissenting voice against the ruling party's excesses,” he said.