The phone-tapping controversy is heating up the politics in Telangana with BJP national general secretary and Union minister Bandi Sanjay making sharp remarks against the Bharat Rashtra Samithi leadership.
His comments drew a strong reaction from BRS working president K T Rama Rao, who accused Sanjay of not understanding how the intelligence system works and threatened to send him a legal notice, demanding an apology within 48 hours or face prosecution in the court.
Well, issuing legal notices or threatening to issue legal notices is nothing new for KTR, whenever it is convenient for him; or if he feels the cases against him are difficult to be proven in the court.
But one wonders why KTR did not issue a similar legal notice to BJP MP from Anakapalli C M Ramesh, who disclosed that KTR had met him in New Delhi last year and requested him to take initiative to merge the BRS with the BJP.
“In fact, Sanjay’s allegation against the BRS is not very damaging to the party when compared to Ramesh’s allegations about the merger of BRS with the BJP. So, it is surprising why KTR did not choose to file defamation case against Ramesh,” an analyst said.
He said maybe, Ramesh has the proofs of KTR’s meeting with him and records of their conversation; so, KTR is afraid that Ramesh might expose the same.
On the other hand, Bandi Sanjay laughed it off the warning by KTR, saying he had expected a reaction from BRS. If KTR does go ahead with a defamation suit, Sanjay says he is ready to respond in court.
He maintains that, as a Union minister handling internal security matters, he is aware of how the phone tapping was conducted in a grossly illegal manner.
He argues that the state SIT of the Telangana has limitations and that those responsible for the tapping are not cooperating.
He demanded the investigation should be handed over to the CBI or conducted under direct court supervision.
He claims that his own calls to BJP national leaders, including Amit Shah, J.P. Nadda, and B.L. Santosh, were recorded, as well as calls of judges - making it a matter of national seriousness.
