Hyderabad: Minister for Tourism, Culture, and Excise Jupally Krishna Rao on Saturday said the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the phone-tapping scandal will expose the masterminds behind what he called one of the most undemocratic episodes in Telangana’s political history.
Addressing a press conference at Praja Bhavan alongside Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka, Jupally accused the previous BRS government of using police and intelligence agencies to target its own leaders, opposition members, and private individuals. He said the Congress government is committed to upholding the law and would not shield anyone guilty of wrongdoing.
SIT probe into phone-tapping will unmask masterminds, says Jupally
“In my 25 years in politics, I have seen many governments, but only the BRS resorted to such despicable tactics,” he said. He recalled that since 2021, public figures such as former Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan, retired IAS officer Akunuri Murali, and politicians Eatala Rajender and R.S. Praveen Kumar had expressed fears of being spied upon.
Jupally described the phone-tapping operation as a grave threat to democracy. He said the SIT would identify and expose the individuals responsible, regardless of their political affiliations.
He also questioned why BRS working president K.T. Rama Rao was reacting strongly to a notice issued under Section 160 of the CrPC, which simply calls an individual to appear as a witness. “KTR used to say he was ready for any inquiry. Why panic now if he’s innocent?” he asked.
The Minister insisted that the current Congress government had not taken any vindictive action against the previous regime. “If we were seeking revenge, we would have jailed them already. But we believe in due process,” he said.
Jupally criticised what he called KTR’s theatrics in response to a standard investigative notice. “A clean conscience has nothing to fear. Let the SIT complete its job and bring the truth to light,” he added.