Reiterating his charge that his phone is being tapped at the behest of the YSR Congress Party (YSRCP) leadership, dissident ruling party legislator from Nellore Rural Assembly segment on Friday demanded a probe by the Union Government into the tapping of phones of prominent persons, including that of legislators, judges and media barons, in the State.
Addressing the media here, Mr. Sridhar Reddy said he was perplexed as to why the State government was skirting the issue without writing to the Union Home Ministry, and diverting the people’s attention by making “baseless allegations” against him.
Stating that he apprehended his arrest on trumped up charges by the YSRCP government, Mr. Sridhar Reddy asserted that he would not be cowed down by such threats made through a section of the media.
He added that he did not fear going to jail. ‘‘I will contest the polls from jail and win hands down,” he said.
‘Mafia ruling the roost’
Alleging that sand and liquor mafia ruled the roost in the State, he challenged party general secretary and Adviser (Public Affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy to arrange for an independent inquiry to bring the culprits to book.
Denying the charge that he had resorted to collection of money from cinema hall owners in his constituency, Mr. Sridhar Reddy said none would believe it as the film exhibitors were in dire straits.
“Many cinema hall owners have brought the curtains down, unable to run the shows due to the government’s faulty policies and converted the cinema halls into marriage halls,” he said.
He also denied former Irrigation Minister P. Anil Kumar’s charge that he had betrayed the party.
‘Never met Naidu’
Mr. Sridhar Reddy also denied the charge that he had met TDP supremo N. Chandrababu Naidu in December, and asked why he was not suspended from the party if that was true.
Meanwhile, Agriculture Minister Kakani Govardhan Reddy told the media that Mr. Sridhar Reddy was resorting to mud slinging as he was upset at not being given a berth in the Cabinet.
Denying the phone tapping charge, he said that Mr. Sridhar Reddy was hand in glove with the TDP.
What prevented the MLA from directly approaching the Union Home Ministry, the Minister asked.
