The ongoing investigation into illegal phone tapping in Telangana during the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) regime has sparked a significant debate within media circles.
The scale of the surveillance appears to be far greater than initially believed.
According to reports available so far, the former BRS government allegedly tapped the phones of over 4,500 individuals between 2022 and 2023.
While it is not uncommon for ruling parties to monitor opposition leaders, political rivals, extremists, or suspected anti-social elements, this case has taken on far more serious constitutional and civil liberties implications.
The KCR-led government reportedly extended its surveillance to journalists, ordinary citizens, lawyers, judges, IAS and IPS officers — and even members of the chief minister’s own family.
Among those allegedly targeted were KCR’s daughter K. Kavitha, her husband, nephew T. Harish Rao, and several other relatives and close associates.
This extensive snooping has raised questions about its underlying motive. Analysts suggest that such widespread surveillance reflects the deep insecurity of KCR himself.
“He was so insecure that he couldn’t even trust his own shadow,” one observer remarked.
KCR's anxiety was evident in his heavily guarded lifestyle and the heightened security measures at Pragathi Bhavan, including fortified walls and even bulletproof bathrooms.
Investigative reports further suggest that the phone tapping may have extended beyond political surveillance to include celebrity blackmail, internal party monitoring, and silencing dissent.
“He was a chief minister wrapped in hyper-security and mistrust,” another analyst commented.
Political observers describe KCR as a deeply paranoid administrator, plagued by fears of betrayal and losing power.
Some critics have even likened his final years in office to those of a leader “performing daily digital yagnas”—rituals of surveillance rooted in mistrust and obsession with control.
