Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has leveraged the Telangana phone-tapping controversy to launch a dual assault on the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Speaking at a rally in Telangana’s Rangareddy district, Gandhi accused both the former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao (KCR) and the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP of engaging in similar activities. He stated, “What your former Chief Minister did here, the Prime Minister and the BJP are doing in Delhi. The Enforcement Directorate has become the Extortion Directorate.”
Gandhi’s remarks on the central agency reflect the broader opposition’s allegation against the Narendra Modi government, accusing it of politicizing investigative agencies. Leaders of the INDIA bloc reiterated these criticisms during a rally at Delhi’s Ramlila Maidan, following the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal in a money laundering case.
The KCR-led BRS government finds itself amid a significant controversy following allegations that senior police officers tapped the phones of opposition leaders, including current Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, as well as numerous celebrities and businessmen. Several senior police officers have been detained after an investigation was initiated by Mr. Reddy.
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Furthermore, it is alleged that surveillance of businessmen was conducted to coerce them into contributing to the BRS party fund. Both the Congress and the BJP have condemned the BRS amid these shocking revelations.
Former minister and KCR’s son, KT Rama Rao, downplayed the allegations, suggesting that any phone tapping may have been limited to a few individuals. He accused Congress of blowing it out of proportion. However, this remark elicited a strong reaction from the Chief Minister, who criticized KTR for “shamelessly admitting” to phone tapping and demanded accountability.
BJP MP from Telangana and Union Minister G Kishan Reddy called for a reevaluation of BRS’ recognition by the Election Commission in light of the allegations, deeming the matter serious and not merely political.
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The 17 seats of Telangana will be contested in a single phase on May 13. In the 2019 elections, the BRS secured nine seats, the BJP four, the Congress three, and Asaduddin Owaisi’s AIMIM one. With the Congress claiming a resounding victory in the state polls last year, the party aims to increase its tally in the upcoming general elections.
During his address in Rangareddy, Gandhi highlighted the Congress’s fulfillment of promises in Telangana, contrasting it with the national unemployment crisis. He emphasized the state government’s efforts in providing government jobs to thousands and pledged further job opportunities.
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