Metro India News | Hyderabad 

Former minister and BRS legislature party deputy floor leader Harish Rao has expressed strong dissent regarding the statements made by Hyderabad police commission and SIT chief VC Sajjanar, who referred to the alleged phone-tapping case as "illegal." He contended that this characterization lacks legal validity pending a judicial resolution.

The BRS MLA also raised a serious question being asked by the people of Telangana. 

He also questioned why the SIT chief repeatedly avoided recognizing K. Chandrasekhar Rao as the Leader of the Opposition. In a statement on Monday, Harish Rao said it was deeply disturbing that the head of an investigating agency would publicly use language that presumes the outcome of an ongoing probe. He stressed that in a constitutional democracy, until a competent court records a finding, no allegation can be treated as an offence. 

Harish Rao explained that whether any phone interception was legal or illegal depends entirely on strict compliance with Section 5(2) of the Indian Telegraph Act, the Information Technology Act, and the safeguards laid down by the Supreme Court in PUCL vs Union of India. By using the expression “illegal phone tapping” in an official message, the SIT Chief has displayed a preconceived notion about the outcome of the investigation, Harish Rao sad and remarked that this conduct was unbecoming of the office held by a senior IPS officer and runs contrary to the standards of neutrality, restraint, and impartiality mandated under the All India Services (Conduct) Rules, 1968.