Telangana Minister for IT and Panchayat Raj K.T. Rama Rao, the son of Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao, has rubbished the charges of phone-tapping being levelled against Telangana Government by TDP leaders and termed an attempt to cover-up the corrupt politics of Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu.
He sought to know why Mr. Naidu was maintaining silence on the issue of his party’s Deputy Floor Leader in Telangana Assembly A. Revanth Reddy being caught red-handed while attempting to bribe a nominated MLA, Elvis Stephenson, seeking his support to TDP candidate in the recently held elections to six Legislative Council seats.
Stating that the allegations of phone-tapping were baseless, Mr. Rama Rao said it was an attempt by TDP to save Mr. Naidu. “If Mr. Naidu has any evidence or proof on tapping of his phone, he can come out with it openly and tell people the facts instead of speaking in the air”, he asked while talking to newspersons here on Monday.
“If Mr. Naidu believes that the voice in the audio tapes was not that of his, then why the TDP leaders are making allegations of phone-tapping. Be firm on what you believe”, he suggested Mr. Naidu and other TDP leaders.
The Telangana Minister criticised the attempts being made to project the cash-for-vote episode as an issue between the people of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and said it was nothing but political and moral stooping down to lowest ebb. He hoped that the people of Andhra Pradesh were wise enough to discount and oppose such attempts as the issue was between some individuals engaged in practicing corrupt politics and those opposing it.
‘Ready to face lie-detector test’
Responding to reports in a section of the media against him, Mr. Rama Rao said he was ready to face a lie detector test in front of live cameras and asked whether Mr. Naidu was game for it. “People must know who is sane and who is insane. Everybody is equal before law, whether it’s Mr. Naidu or somebody else. Law will take its own course in the cash-for-vote issue”, he added.
