The ruling TRS has dismissed the allegations made by Telangana Governor Dr. Tamilisai Soundararajan that her phone was being tapped.
“Everybody knows who is tapping how many phones with the help of Pegasus,” said T Harish Rao, minister of finance and senior TRS leader, pointing a finger at the NDA government at the Centre.
Yesterday, the governor had alleged that her calls were being recorded and her suspicion grew when a TRS handle mentioned Raj Bhavan along with the name Tushar. One of the three accused had apparently mentioned Tushar Velapally in the video footage of the MLA poaching case while the governor had said her former ADC Tushar Vasan had been calling her to wish her on Diwali.
TRS ministers, however, wondered why the governor was dragging the name of her former ADC when they were talking about Tushar Velapally, a BJP ally. It may be mentioned that a few days ago TRS working president and industry minister KT Rama Rao too had remarked that his phone was also being tapped through Pegasus.
Meanwhile, the state Education Minister Sabitha Indra Reddy met the governor today along with officials of the higher education department and clarified her doubts on the Common Recruitment Board Bill for appointment of faculties in state Universities. According to the Governor’s office she had shared her concerns about the Bill with the minister.
Earlier, Rao had added, “We expect her to clear the bills.” There are six Bills lying with the governor, awaiting her assent. The governor had also expressed reservations about the Bill on private university arguing that the government universities are in bad shape with poor facilities and unhygienic conditions of the mess and hostels. She had said she would take up the bills one after another.
When asked about her allegations that the state government was not according her respect the minister retorted that “it should be reciprocal.”
The governor today visited Bhairanpally village in Siddipet where 100 people were killed by the Razakars prior to State of Hyderabad’s merger in the Union of India. With the TRS government at loggerheads with the NDA at the Centre over the issue of liberation or merger the visit is unlikely to go down well with the state government.