The political landscape in Telangana has been charged with accusations and bold declarations following the emergence of an alleged phone-tapping scandal. Telangana’s Chief Minister Revanth Reddy has issued a stern warning against any individuals implicated in phone-tapping activities under the preceding government led by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS). Revanth Reddy, a member of the Congress party and successor to BRS president K Chandrashekar Rao’s regime, declared that all participants in the scandal will be incarcerated.
Authorities arrested some individuals in relation to the alleged phone-tapping, elevating the concerns. Revanth Reddy emphasized the potential repercussions during a press event, as he stated that anyone who aligned themselves with ‘evil doers’ or engaged in illicit eavesdropping would end up behind bars. His comments followed BRS leader K.T. Rama Rao’s obscure admission at a public function, that ‘maybe, phones of one or two (people) may have been tapped,’ while suggesting that if such an act were to have occurred, it would have involved criminal individuals and fallen within the purview of police responsibilities. K.T. Rama Rao added that the issue had been amplified by opponents as a distraction from their failed promises in managing the state.
Adding to the fray, Revanth Reddy chastised K.T. Rama Rao for ‘shamelessly’ owning up to the BRS government’s role in the purported widespread phone-tapping issue and promised severe consequences. Reddy criticized the former government for having instilled fear among citizens through phone surveillance, while boasting about fulfilling election pledges like providing 30,000 government jobs and timely salaries. While illustrating the contrast between the new government’s ‘Praja Palana’ (good governance) and the BRS’s ‘gadilu’ (fortress), he expressed confidence in winning the Mahbubnagar MLC seat and highlighted conspiracy theories involving the BJP and BRS.
As the Chief Minister engaged with members of the Valmiki Boya community, he assured them of the government’s commitment to their welfare, pledging educational support and upliftment after the election code of conduct concluded, further solidifying the political divide in the region.