File photo of YSRCP supremo Jagan Mohan Reddy with sister YS Sharmila
Credit: DH Photo
Hyderabad: The phone tapping controversy engulfing Telangana has taken a dramatic turn following explosive allegations from Andhra Pradesh Congress Committee chief Y S Sharmila. She has claimed that her phones, along with those of her husband and close associates, were systematically intercepted by the previous BRS government, allegedly orchestrated at the behest of her brother, then Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy.
Sharmila claimed that her uncle, Rajya Sabha member YV Subba Reddy, had "personally confirmed the surveillance operations by playing audio recordings of the intercepted conversations as proof". She characterised this as a calculated campaign to sabotage her political ambitions and financial prospects.
The allegations have gained significant traction as the current Congress government in Telangana has established a Special Investigation Team to probe the phone tapping activities allegedly conducted by the previous BRS administration against political opponents.
"Phone tapping did happen. This is an undeniable fact. My phone, my husband's phone, and the phones of people close to me were all tapped. YV Subba Reddy himself confirmed that phone tapping occurred and even played one of my intercepted audio recordings for me to hear," said Sharmila.
She expressed her willingness to cooperate fully with investigations, stating, "I'm ready to appear wherever they summon me for questioning regarding phone tapping. I swear on the Bible that phone tapping was conducted."
Sharmila called upon chief ministers A Revanth Reddy and N Chandrababu Naidu to expedite their investigations into the matter. She described the relationship between her brother Jagan and former Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao as "extraordinarily close", saying, "Back then, seeing the bond between Jagan and KCR, even blood relations seemed insignificant. Phone tapping was a scheme plotted jointly by both leaders to suppress me politically and financially in Telangana."
The Congress leader said that the alleged surveillance was part of a broader conspiracy to destroy her political career. "They were like brothers to each other. This was a joint operation by the then two chief ministers," she said.
"You might ask why I remained quiet when I discovered this in my own house. The circumstances then were entirely different. What Jagan and KCR orchestrated were nothing short of atrocities. Compared to their other actions, phone tapping was relatively minor. Forgetting that I was his sister, Jagan conspired to prevent my political and financial growth. They undertook numerous efforts to bury my future, with the phone tapping conspiracy being just one element," she said.
The APCC chief called it a comprehensive effort to isolate her politically. "They threatened those who supported me and prevented my associates from joining me politically. They terrorised my followers and made it virtually impossible for me to operate freely," she alleged.
According to the ongoing probe, a Deputy Superintendent of Police in the Special Intelligence Branch had accumulated an enormous cache of surveillance data, recording approximately 10 lakh two-way conversations over an extended period. Sources within the Hyderabad police revealed that the officer operated three private monitoring centers equipped with exclusive servers dedicated to phone tapping operations.
The DSP has reportedly admitted that all surveillance activities were conducted under the direct supervision of then Special Intelligence Branch chief T Prabhakar Rao. The intercepted communications allegedly include recordings of the then opposition leader and current Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, prominent real estate developers, senior bureaucrats, and multiple media personalities. Rao is currently being questioned by the Special Investigation Team.