Ministers back SIT, call phone tapping ‘shameful’

Hyderabad: Ministers Vakiti Srihari and Adluri Lakshman on Sunday asserted that no leader is above the law, noting that former chief ministers like Jayalalithaa, Lalu Prasad Yadav, Yeddyurappa, Shibu Soren, and Mayawati previously cooperated with inquiry agencies. Addressing the media at the CLP Media Hall, the ministers criticised the BRS for creating a disturbance over the ongoing phone tapping investigation. They questioned the necessity of protests if the party had committed no wrongdoing and objected to leaders attending inquiries with large vehicle convoys.

Srihari described phone tapping as a shameful act, citing claims by Kavitha that her husband’s phone was monitored. He raised concerns regarding missing hard disks from the SIB office and the role of former officer Prabhakar Rao, while alleging a wastage of Rs 1 lakh crore in the Kaleshwaram project. Dismissing claims of political vendetta, he stated the SIT probe remains independent. Adluri Lakshman accused the BRS of politicising the inquiry for electoral gain and alleged that surveillance was used to threaten businessmen.