Phone tapping case: Ex-SIB chief Prabhakar Rao was serving interests of ex CM K Chandrasekhar Rao, says Telangana MP Eatala Rajender; claims his phone was tapped multiple times
BJP
MP Eatala Rajender, who appeared before the special investigation team (SIT) probing the phone tapping scandal, claimed that his phone was tapped multiple times.
Speaking to the media after his deposition on Tuesday, Rajender alleged that the surveillance intensified during the Huzurabad by-election, and even the phones of his personal security staff were intercepted.
Questioning the Congress govt's silence on the issue, he asked, "When will this phone tapping finally end?" He also demanded to know why the state govt has not yet released reports from various committees investigating corruption linked to the previous BRS regime.
You Can Also Check:
Hyderabad AQI
|
Weather in Hyderabad
|
Bank Holidays in Hyderabad
|
Public Holidays in Hyderabad
Rajender accused top officials of acting as 'puppets' for former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao. "SIB former chief Prabhakar Rao flouted norms to serve KCR's interests.
There now appears to be a tacit understanding between the BRS and Congress," he alleged.
According to Rajender, the former BRS govt indiscriminately tapped the phones of prominent figures from various sectors, infringing on constitutional freedoms. "Instead of targeting anti-social elements, they tapped opposition leaders," he said, citing instances from the Munugode by-election where the BJP's strategy, conversations, and movements were allegedly monitored. He criticised the Congress govt for setting up inquiry panels on phone tapping and the Kaleshwaram project but not ensuring timely investigations.
Echoing similar concerns, BJP state general secretary G Premender Reddy told SIT officials that both his phones were tapped during the polls. He described the previous BRS govt's surveillance operations as 'disgraceful'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
19 minutes ago
- Hans India
State BJP chief urges lawyers to come forward for a change in TG
Hyderabad: State BJP president N. Ramachandra Rao said that lawyers should again come forward in the state, as the time has come to fight anti-people policies and wage a just agitation. Addressing the felicitation event organised by the BJP legal cell on Saturday, he urged, 'let us work together to bring a BJP government in Telangana.' Lawyers are always leaders in movements. They have the power to change the social and political awareness of society. Therefore, if we want to bring awareness among the people again, lawyers are important. He said the Congress government, which is ruling with anti-people policies, should be thrown out. Asserting that he wants to work hard to bring the BJP government to Telangana, he recalled his association with lawyers. He said, 'I have very close relations with lawyers.' In United AP, once I saw 100 reserve policemen destroying a shop in Tarnaka in 1993. 'I interfered in it, and in response, they lathi-charged me, arrested me, and filed a case. Seriously injured in the police attack, I received treatment in the hospital for almost two months. A major operation took place.' Further, at that time, lawyers in united Andhra Pradesh boycotted the courts for 43 days. 'Even though I was personally against the boycott, another senior lawyer, including me, condemned the police brutality; he called for a boycott among the lawyers. Ultimately, we were able to get the Judicial Commission appointed,' he added. Then the lawyers fought for me. That's why he considers the lawyers' community as his family. If lawyers resolve, anything is possible. He stressed that helping the BJP is an important thing for Telangana. He said that without the BJP's support, Telangana would not have been formed, and it is history. He recalled the key role of lawyers in the process of passing the Telangana Bill in Parliament without legal issues. 'If Telangana is to be transformed into a developed state', it is possible only with the BJP, he said.
Indian Express
23 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Today in Politics: An update on SIR revision — from the EC and an appeal by Bihar Chief Electoral Officer
A day after a petition was filed in the Supreme Court challenging the Election Commission's (EC) controversial Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, the poll panel wrote to Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all other states on July 5, directing them to begin preparations for a similar exercise — this time with January 1, 2026, as the qualifying date. The qualifying date mentioned in the letter indicates that while the nationwide exercise may start soon, a final timeline for the rest of the country is yet to be decided — though the aim is to include everyone who turns 18 years of age by January 1, 2026. Since 2003 has been chosen for Bihar as 'probative evidence of eligibility' — meaning voters on the electoral roll that year, when the last intensive revision was done, will be presumed Indian citizens unless proven otherwise — other states are also likely to use the year of their last intensive roll revision as the cut-off for presumption of citizenship for existing voters. For instance, Delhi's electoral roll was last intensively revised in 2008. In its instructions, the Commission — referring to paragraph 10 of its order dated June 24, when it formally announced the SIR in Bihar and said detailed guidelines for the rest of the country would follow — has asked all CEOs to complete 'pre-revision activities.' The EC's letter is significant against the backdrop of the upcoming Assembly elections in 2025 in BJP-ruled Assam; TMC-ruled West Bengal; DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu; and Left-ruled Kerala. The Union Territory of Puducherry will also elect a new Assembly next year. Whether the SIR in these four states — three of which are ruled by Opposition parties at the Centre — will be linked to the Assembly elections next year may depend on how the Supreme Court hearing on the Bihar exercise unfolds. During the hearing on Thursday (July 10), the court raised concerns about the timing of the exercise and whether it could be delinked from the state election. Justice Joymalya Bagchi, part of the two-judge bench, flagged the risk of disenfranchising voters by removing names from the rolls just months before polling, even if the broader objective of cleansing the rolls is legitimate. The Supreme Court eventually declined to restrain the EC from proceeding with its intensive revision of electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar but suggested that the poll panel also consider Aadhaar, voter ID, and ration cards for the purpose of updating the rolls. Bihar Booth Level Officers scramble on the ground: Long hours, slow Internet, and a mountain to climb Bihar electoral roll revision: Why 3 papers SC suggests widen net, dial down panic In Bihar, EC doesn't follow its own practice, puts burden of proof on voters, ignores existing rolls In a conversation with The Indian Express, Bihar's Chief Electoral Officer Vinod Singh Gunjiyal, a 2007 batch IAS officer, addressed concerns about the SIR exercise in Bihar. Asked what happens to those voters who have submitted forms without one of the 11 mandated documents for the exercise, Gunjiyal said: 'We took out advertisements in newspapers twice that voters can submit forms with or without one of 11 documents. There is no need to panic — documents can be submitted by August 30. A BLO (Booth Level Officer) will attach those documents with respective uploaded forms. We also know that there's been a surge in domicile applications (one of the 11 documents) by voters. They can submit it to us by 30 August.' On the Supreme Court's suggestions to consider Aadhar, voter ID and ration cards as valid documents for the exercise, he said the ECI's legal team will looking at the suggestions of the Supreme Court. 'ECI goes per mandate of Article 326. We are here to follow ECI's order. There are learned people in Honourable Supreme Court and ECI. Let them discuss and decide. Ayog ka mandate hai: sahi electors rahna chahiye, galat katna chahiye,' he said. In the Valley The Srinagar district magistrate on Saturday rejected the National Conference's plea seeking permission to pay homage to the 22 people 'martyred' by the forces of the Dogra Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir, Hari Singh, on July 13, 1931. The party, in an application sent to the district magistrate, had said that NC president Farooq Abdullah and other senior functionaries intend to visit the graveyard of 'martyrs' at Naqshband Sahib near Nowhatta on Sunday. 'The District Administration Srinagar has denied permission to all applicants intending to proceed towards Khawaja Bazar, Nowhatta on 13th July 2025 (Sunday),' Srinagar Police said in a public advisory posted on its handle on X. The police said the general public is hereby advised to strictly comply with these instructions and refrain from violating the orders issued by the district administration. 'Any violation of these orders shall invite strict legal action under relevant provisions of law,' the police warned. July 13 used to be a public holiday in Jammu and Kashmir before the reorganisation of the erstwhile state into two Union territories in August 2019. A state function would be held every year on the day. However, the administration dropped the day from the list of gazetted holidays in 2020. — With PTI inputs
The Print
25 minutes ago
- The Print
Ghaziabad court issues non-bailable warrant against Congress MP Imran Masood in forgery case
Ghaziabad (UP), Jul 12 (PTI) A CBI court here has issued a non-bailable warrant against Congress MP Imran Masood in a 2007 forgery case, instructing the Ghaziabad Police to produce him before it. Confirming the development, government counsel Adesh Kumar Tyagi said on Saturday that the case originates from an FIR lodged in 2007 by the executive officer of the Saharanpur Municipality against Masood under sections 420 (cheating), 467 (forgery of valuable security), 468 (forgery for purpose of cheating) and 471 (using as genuine a forged document) of the Indian Penal Code.
