KTR questioned for over 8 hours in phone tapping case

Hyderabad: Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) Working President KT Rama Rao (KTR) on Friday criticised the Congress-led Telangana government after an over 8-hour questioning by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) in the alleged phone-tapping case.

He also termed the entire exercise a ‘calculated diversion’ to mask governance failures and unfulfilled election promises.

‘Fully cooperated, but no substance’

Addressing the media after the enquiry, KTR said he had fully cooperated with the SIT and answered all questions during the nearly seven-and-a-half-hour session.

However, he alleged that the questioning lacked substance, claiming officials merely read out hundreds of names without producing any concrete evidence.

He said the SIT failed to explain who was responsible for repeated ‘leaks’ to the media that, according to him, were aimed at maligning BRS leaders and their families over the past two years.

Allegations of continued surveillance and fictional narratives

KTR alleged that the culture of phone tapping had not ended under the current government and, in fact, had spread within its own ranks.

He cited reports of a sitting minister expressing an inability to speak freely due to alleged surveillance.

Questioning the government’s silence on such claims, KTR accused it of selectively using investigative agencies to circulate ‘fictional narratives’ against the opposition.

Questions on corruption probes

Aiming at the Congress administration, KTR asked why SITs had not been formed to probe what he described as serious corruption allegations involving the ruling dispensation.

He referred to allegations of a Rs 300-crore extortion attempt involving a minister’s OSD, land-grabbing accusations against the son of a Revenue Minister, and the awarding of AMRUT scheme tenders to the Chief Minister’s brother-in-law.

If the law were applied equally, he said, these matters should also face rigorous investigation.

‘Not afraid of notices’

Rejecting claims of evasion, KTR said the BRS was a law-abiding party and not intimidated by police notices or political vendetta.

He pointed out that neither he nor senior leader T Harish Rao sought court stays or time extensions, instead appearing before the SIT immediately upon being summoned.

Call to focus on governance

Concluding his remarks, KTR urged the government to stop what he termed ‘diversionary politics’ and focus on governance.

He accused the Congress of failing to deliver on its ‘420 promises’ made to the people of Telangana and asserted that the BRS would continue to highlight the government’s shortcomings daily.