Nellore: In a setback to ruling YSRCP government in Andhra Pradesh, Nellore Rural MLA Kotam Reddy on Wednesday quit the party accusing the Jagan Mohan Reddy government of phone tapping. Kotam Reddy made the bombshell allegations at a press conference where he said he will join the Chandrababu Naidu's TDP.
"My phone is being tapped for four months. I am not the kind who speaks without evidence. I want to leave the party silently. They wanted to make me guilty," Kotam Reddy said. The Nellore MLA said that the Jagan Mohan Reddy had got his phone tapped through the Intelligence wing over his criticism of Finance Secretary for delay in the release of funds sanctioned for Barashahid Dargah.
Kotam said that CM Jagan had sanctioned funds for Barashahid Dargah but the finance department has not released them for which he criticized the behavior of the latter hinting this might have been the trigger for the tapping issue. "I don't think the Intelligence chief spoke to me on his own. I think he spoke to me only when party leaders told him to. He sends me an audio clip of my phone conversation. Then, he tells me not to speak against Jagan Anna," the lawmaker said revealing details of the conversation he had with state Intelligence chief PSR Anjaneyalu.
He said that the Intel wing has been tapping many others' phone calls and he had been been cautioned by at least two IPS officer. "Intelligence officials have been spying on me. I am worried about the surveillance of the leaders of the ruling party. Four months ago an IPS officer told me about the tapping. Phones of Chief Justice, judges, and media representatives are also being tapped. Some 35 MLAs and four MPs told me that their phones are being tapped," the MLA said.
What more evidence is needed to prove for tapping? How did the audio clip come out other than taping? The audio clip was received from the 9849996600 number. Seetha Ram Anjaneyalu has been using that number since he was the ACB chief, he said. ''Anna... Jagan Anna... What if your phone is tapped? Are you saying that the tapping happened because of a mistake?'' the Nellore Rural MLA wondered.
I had always been loyal to CM Jagan and YSR. I fought a lot as an MLA when the party was in opposition. After YSRCP came to power, I was not bothered about the recognition. I have not mistakenly spoken about the party anywhere. The party did not give respect my hard work, the MLA added.
He said that he did not think that the intelligence chief “would take the avatar of a political leader” by tapping his phone. Asked about his future politics, he said that he will contest on behalf of TDP. The legislator also said he will be filing a complaint with the Union Home Ministry about the tapping.
