Hyderabad: Kishan demands EC intervention in phone-tapping scam

Hyderabad : Union Minister and State BJP chief G Kishan Reddy on Thursday came down heavily on the BRS and Congress adopting ‘undemocratic’ practices insulting people's electoral mandates.

Addressing the media here he said the 10 years of BRS regime were marked by KCR running a dictatorial Nizam-style governance, throwing all democratic norms to winds by misusing the State administration for political gains and abusing the rights and privacy of people.’ The sensational details trickling out from the ongoing phone-tapping scam expose how the BRS government violated the election code and resorted to a political vendetta by abusing the police and bureaucracy’, Reddy pointed out.

‘The then CM appointed a retired police official as intelligence chief to lead phone-tapping. The police intelligence chief was under the jurisdiction of the CM. Phone-tapping will not take place without the CM's orders. "We are seeking the State Governor's intervention demanding a high-level investigation into phone- tapping and demanding stringent action against KCR and those responsible."

He alleged that phones of BJP leaders were tapped during the 2014 Assembly elections, the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and the subsequent Dubbaka, Huzurabad and Munigodu by-elections, contrary to EC rules. ‘It is also the responsibility of the Election Commission. It should intervene in the issue. Reddy demanded a review of the recognition of BRS.

He said the party would lodge a complaint with the EC on phone-tapping and demand stringent action. "The BRS had completely destroyed the democratic systems in the State during the last 10 years. KCR turned the State into a private limited company. Abuse of power against political opponents has been the rule, besides, encouraging defections rendering the anti-defection law meaningless." The BRS encouraged defections from the Congress. Those who had joined BRS without resigning from the Congress--on which tickets they were elected--such turncoats were given ministerial berths. The Congress is also adopting the BRS practice of insulting people's mandate, he added.

Taking a dig at the Congress for failing to deliver on its farmer's declaration made on May 7,2023 at Warangal, Reddy said it had promised to implement six guarantees in 100 days, besides, paying Rs 15,000 under Rythu Bharosa Rs. 12,000 to agriculture labourers and Rs 500 bonus per quintal of paddy. Also, it promised to waive farm loans up to Rs. 2 lakh by December 9. The government should spell out if it wants to implement its farm loan waiver or not, he demanded.

Reddy lashed out at the inaction of the government not addressing the growing water shortage in State.