Telangana Governor suspects phone tapping

Hyderabad: Amid widening rift with the Telangana government, Governor Tamilisai Soundararajan on Wednesday said that she suspect her phone is being tapped and alleged that there is an undemocratic situation in the state

“I’m afraid my phone is tapped. My privacy is being infringed,” she told reporters at Raj Bhavan.

The Governor slammed the ruling Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) for dragging Raj Bhavan into MLAs’ poaching episode.

She said the official TRS handle claimed that Raj Bhavan is involved in the case.

“This is a false allegation. My office is transparent and all my works are in the open,” she said.

“They mentioned Tushar. He was my ADC. Tushar was calling me for two days to wish me Deepavali. Only after that, they mentioned Tushar’s name,” she said.

She was apparently referring to Tushar Vellapally, who contested Lok Sabha elections against Rahul Gandhi in Wayanad on BJP ticket in 2019.

At a news conference on November 3, Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao had stated that one of the three accused arrested while trying to lure four MLAs of TRS spoke to Tushar over phone.

KCR also released a photograph of Tushar with union home minister Amit Shah.

She denied that she is sitting on bills sent by the state government to Raj Bhavan including Telangana Universities Common Recruitment Board Bill, 2022.

She said she wanted some clarifications from the state government on the new procedure to be adopted for appointment of vice-chancellors of universities.

The Governor said her action was projected as if she was stalling the process of recruitment.

She claimed that ever since she took oath as Governor, she had been suggesting the government fill vacant posts, teaching and non-teaching, as early as possible.

She clarified that she wants to know from the government why a new recruitment board be formed when a procedure is already there and what is the new procedure going to be followed, how the board is to be formed and whether this will be in accordance with the UGC rules.

Soundararajan also claimed that only after she called the press conference that the education minister stated that she would go to Raj Bhavan to give the clarifications.

On a students’ body threatening to lay siege to Raj Bhavan if the approval to the bill was delayed, the governor said students’ fraternity was welcomed to come to Raj Bhavan and submit their memorandum.

“Raj Bhavan’s doors are open. It is not like Pragati Bhavan (official residence of the chief minister). I have democratised Raj Bhavan,” she remarked.

Reiterating the allegation that the Governor’s protocol was not being followed during her visit to districts, she wanted to know from the government what action it had taken against collectors and superintendents of police who were not following the protocol.