Telugu Desam Party (TDP) chief N Chandrababu Naidu, who is at loggerheads with Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy over several issues, has accused the ruling YSRCP government of tapping phones of opposition parties, advocates, journalists and social activists in the state.

The former CM has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi requesting to order a probe by the Centre to check “illegal acts of phone tapping in the state”.

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Stating that the people of Andhra Pradesh are “facing a grave threat under the rule of Yuvajana Sramika Rythu Congress Party”, he said, “Ever since the YSRCP came to power, there has been a systematic and concerted attack on the democratic institutions in the state. Intially the process of governance was completely derailed by attacking the investors and policies of previous regimes. This was followed by attack on institutions like State Election Commission and Andhra Pradesh Public Service Commission. Concomitantly, the ruling YSRCP has been attacking and threatening leaders of opposition parties, advocates, media persons and social activists among others through various deceitful means”.

Naidu also accused Jaganmohan Reddy of perpetrating a “jungle raj” on all sections of people in the state.

Requesting the PM to order a comprehensive inquiry by a competent authority into the alleged telephone tapping by the Jagan government, Chandrababu Naidu said the Centre should take stringent action in this regard.

“This is in violation of the Articles 19 and 21 of the Constitution of India that protect the fundamental rights of citizens. The ruling YSRCP is using illegal tactics to safeguard its power by intimidating and blackmailing the opponents and dissenting voices. These illegal activities are posing a serious threat to the right to privacy in the State,” he said.

“It appears that the ruling YSRCP has now even targeted the judiciary, the third pillar of the democracy, as it is facing hurdles from the judiciary,” Naidu said.

Meanwhile, the opposition TDP has attacked the YSRCP government’s plans to develop Visakhapatnam as administrative capital and Kurnool as judicial capital, reducing Amaravati to a mere legislative capital.