Dr Tamilisai sticks to her guns, says her phones were tapped by BRS govt
HYDERABAD: Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan, former Governor of Telangana state, has reiterated that her phones were tapped during BRS rule, and that she had good reasons to believe that this was the case.
In the ongoing investigation into the illegal phone-tapping by a handpicked group of police officials under the BRS government, among the more serious charges was that Dr Soundararajan was among the targets. The Hyderabad police, who have been grilling multiple suspects – including senior police officials who have been arrested in the case — are reported to have received information on how the BRS government had kept an ear out on the former Governor’s phone conversations.
On the reported findings by the city police, particularly with reference to Raj Bhavan's phones not being spared, Dr Soundararajan told Deccan Chronicle on Tuesday: “I have strong reasons to say that my phones were tapped when I was Governor. Whatever I said in the past on this issue, was the truth, and is the truth today too.”
She said when she first made her apprehensions public about her phones being tapped in November 2022, “the previous government dismissed my statements claiming that I was making political comments. I had a strong suspicion that my phones were being tapped.”
It may be recalled that ties between the then BRS government, particularly then Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao, and Dr Soundararajan hit rock bottom in the second half of his second term and BRS leaders, including then ministers, never lost an opportunity to attack her.
Dr Soundararajan had taken strong objection to how the then BRS government was not following protocol to be accorded to the office of the Governor and the party used to dismiss her charges as politically motivated as she was a BJP leader before assuming office as Governor.