BRS Cries ‘Political Vendetta’

Former Minister and BRS Legislature Party Deputy Leader T. Harish Rao appeared before the Special Investigation Team (SIT) on Tuesday for questioning in the high-profile phone tapping case. The SIT, headed by Hyderabad Police Commissioner V.C. Sajjanar, summoned Harish Rao following a notice issued on January 19, 2026, under Section 160 of the CrPC, requiring him to appear at Jubilee Hills Police Station at 11:00 AM. This marked the first time a senior BRS leader of his stature was formally questioned in the probe, which alleges illegal surveillance of phones belonging to political opponents, businessmen, journalists, and even judges during the 2023 Telangana Assembly elections.

The questioning commenced around 11:00 AM and lasted over seven hours, concluding around 6:30 PM. SIT officers, including ACP Venkatagiri and SP Ravinderr Reddy, interrogated Harish Rao intensively, focusing on his alleged role, connections to the case, and specifics such as which phones were tapped and under whose directions. His lawyer was not permitted inside during the session. The atmosphere outside the police station was tense and charged, with heavy security deployment involving around 300 personnel. Large crowds of BRS supporters, including MLAs like Vemula Prashanth Reddy, Kaushik Reddy, and Kalvakuntla Sanjay, gathered in solidarity, raising slogans against the police. The situation grew excited due to the denial of lawyer access, but no major incidents were reported.

Harish Rao has consistently denied any involvement in the phone tapping scandal, asserting he has no connection with it and has committed no wrongdoing. He described the SIT notice and probe as politically motivated "diversionary politics," "silly drama," or "vendetta" orchestrated by Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and the Congress government. He claimed the timing—shortly after he exposed alleged corruption involving CM's brother-in-law in the Singareni coal tenders and Naini block—was deliberate retaliation. Harish Rao accused the government of shielding scams while misusing agencies to intimidate opposition leaders, especially ahead of municipal/civic polls, following Congress setbacks in gram panchayat elections. He noted similar notices to K.T. Rama Rao before panchayat polls as part of the pattern.

The BRS leader criticized the Congress for failing to deliver on Six-Guarantee promises including old-age pensions, and equitable Krishna river water sharing for Telangana. He highlighted unaddressed issues such as coal, power, land, and HILTP scams under the current regime, vowing to continue exposing them. Harish Rao pointed out that related cases against him had previously been dismissed or quashed by the High Court and Supreme Court (including a January 5, 2026, SC dismissal of the state's SLP), yet the SIT persisted. He dismissed the questioning as containing "trash" or irrelevant queries, spending time on non-substantive matters rather than facts.

Post-questioning, Harish Rao proceeded to Telangana Bhavan to address the media, reiterating his fearlessness—rooted in his Telangana movement experience—and respect for the law despite repeated cases. 

He demanded a probe into the coal scam by a sitting judge, cancellation of questionable tenders, and challenged the government to open debates on corruption. He expressed gratitude to KTR and party workers for support and predicted public accountability for the ruling dispensation. The phone tapping case, which surfaced in March 2024, involves six named accused, including former SIB chief T. Prabhakar Rao (prime accused, previously questioned), DSP D. Praneeth Rao, and others. Evidence includes telecom records of 618 numbers and statements from earlier questioned BRS MLAs like Chirumarthi Lingaiah and Jaipal Yadav. The probe, revived with a nine-member SIT in December 2025, continues amid heightened political polarization in Telangana.

‘probe is politically motivated’

T Harish Rao addressed the media at Telangana Bhavan after the completion of the SIT inquiry, strongly condemning the notice issued to him and terming the entire exercise as “baseless, politically motivated, and a diversionary tactic.”

Harish Rao expressed his gratitude to the BRS Working President K. T. Rama Rao, Leader of Opposition in the Legislative Council Madhusudhana Chary, party leaders, and cadres for their moral support. He alleged that the SIT notice issued at the behest of Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy was nothing but “trash,” containing repetitive questions, unfounded allegations, and no new material.

He claimed that the SIT inquiry was conducted under pressure, with officers allegedly receiving external phone calls during questioning. Harish Rao asserted that the notice was issued merely hours after he exposed alleged irregularities involving the Chief Minister’s relatives, calling it a clear act of political vendetta.

Challenging the government, he demanded a probe by a sitting High Court judge if there was any sincerity in the investigation. He reiterated that he was ready to submit all evidence regarding alleged scams, including in Singareni and tender-related matters, and accused the government of using SITs to divert attention from unfulfilled promises such as farm loan waivers, Rythu Bandhu, pensions, and employment generation.

Stating that arrests, cases, and notices were not new to him, Harish Rao said BRS leaders were seasoned by struggles under the leadership of K. Chandrashekar Rao. He emphasized his respect for the judiciary and expressed his readiness to face any lawful inquiry, while accusing the Congress government of indulging in “petty politics” and governance failure.

Harish Rao stressed that BRS would continue to expose corruption fearlessly and that the people of Telangana were closely watching the government’s actions.