Cong & BRS shielding each other, says Bandi Sanjay
Hyderabad: Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, alleged political collusion and deep-seated corruption that the Congress and BRS are complicit in a tacit agreement of, “We protect your 10 years of corruption...you protect our exploitation.” He alleged this quid pro quo, shielding each other from the consequences of their respective omissions and commissions in running the state. The Karimagnar MP who celebrated the Raksha Bandhan on Saturday with party workers, leaders, media and his constituents after addressing the media in his constituency contended that the Congress party, which currently governs the state, has not taken decisive action against the family of former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao (KCR), despite an overwhelming evidence of large-scale corruption during the preceding 10-year BRS rule. He said that the inaction stems from Congress’s own “vested interests” and “large stakes” intertwined with the alleged irregularities, resulting in a reluctance to pursue genuine accountability.
He highlighted the brewing public distrust towards the Congress government in the state because of its repeated failures to take on corruption. He said key reports—such as the Power Procurement Commission report and findings related to the Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) —have not been discussed in the state cabinet or released to the public. This lack of openness, he argues, feeds suspicions that significant evidence is being actively suppressed and that the public is being kept in the dark about the true scale of mismanagement and corruption.
The former State BJP chief expressed complete lack of confidence in the Special Investigation Team (SIT) tasked with probing the telephone tapping scandal, arguing that the SIT lacks both the stature and the authority to summon and interrogate key people such as judges, chief ministers, or high-ranking officials from central departments. Sanjay insists this is insufficient for a scandal with such wide-reaching implications. “Only central agencies—such as the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED)—have the real power to conduct an impartial, thorough investigation, he asserts. He said, anything less risks letting those most responsible evade and go scot-free.
The phone tapping scandal, he said, involves a broad range of targets, including politicians, business people, and even judges, with the operation allegedly being used as a tool of blackmail and extortion. Sanjay Kumar challenged, inviting BRS leaders K.T. Rama Rao (KTR) and T Harish Rao to join him and their families in taking an oath at a temple, mosque, or church, swearing their innocence or guilt regarding the phone tapping accusations. He pledges to do so himself, underscoring his conviction that tapping did indeed occur. Moreover, he calls for immediate notice and investigation against KCR’s daughter, Kavitha.
Further, the appointment of Prabhakar Rao as head of the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) in violation of Union Home Ministry norms, as Rao was allegedly retired at the time of his appointment. He accused the KCR administration of flouting rules meant to safeguard surveillance data, claiming the previous government kept such records well beyond their legal destruction dates, only deleting them after being voted out of office—actions he views as deliberate attempts to hide wrongdoing.
Beyond issuing challenges and criticising individuals, Sanjay calls upon BRS MLAs to leave their party “out of shame,” citing the widespread alleged phone tapping of ministers, MLAs, and public figures. He argues that the SIB under KCR was manipulated for “nefarious purposes” and personal gain.
Despite the inability of the central government to directly intervene in state-level investigations, Sanjay insists this reality only adds urgency to his demand for a CBI inquiry. He said only central agencies possess the autonomy and statutory powers required to conduct an impartial probe, especially given the cross-jurisdictional nature of political corruption in India.
Sanjay is also unflinching in the face of legal notices issued by KTR, describing such actions as mere attempts at political intimidation, not genuine efforts to unearth the truth. He does not take them seriously, and he uses such political tactics.