Hyderabad: TPCC president Mahesh Kumar Goud on Tuesday deposed before Jubilee Hills police as a witness in the ongoing phone tapping case and later accused the previous BRS government of illegal surveillance targeting Congress leaders.
Speaking to reporters after giving his statement, Goud said phones of hundreds of Congress leaders were unlawfully tapped under the BRS administration. He called the practice shameful and alleged that the former chief minister and then IT minister K T Rama Rao should be held accountable.
He claimed phone tapping began in 2022 and affected around 650 Congress functionaries. According to him, political movements were tracked in real-time with the sole intention of electoral gain. He attributed the Congress’s defeat in the 2018 Assembly elections partly to the tapping operations.
TPCC chief Goud alleged that individuals with no legal authority were empowered to intercept phones and that surveillance was carried out under the pretext of monitoring Naxal sympathisers. Goud questioned the ethical claims of KTR, stating that leaders now positioning themselves as honest should answer for past actions.
He demanded strict punishment for those involved, warning that future governments might repeat similar offences unless strong action is taken. “This is the first time in the country’s history that such a large number of political leaders’ phones were tapped,” he said.
Mahesh Goud also said that not just politicians but journalists, judges, and even officials serving during the BRS term were subject to phone surveillance. He accused the BRS regime of using tapping as a political tool to serve its own interests.
TPCC chief Goud further alleged that key evidence was destroyed before the 2023 elections, naming Prabhakar Rao and the then chief secretary as responsible for the destruction of hard disks related to the case. He urged the government not to spare anyone and ensure a transparent investigation.
He called on the High Court and Supreme Court to take the matter seriously and deliver exemplary punishment.
