Alleging a conspiracy and threat to the state, the former Chief Minister of Andhra Pradesh and national president of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) N Chandrababu Naidu charged the ruling YSR Congress Party of resorting to massive phone tapping practices.
Naidu took to Twitter to share and address the alleged issue and posted a letter which he had sent to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Allegations of phone tapping of opposition leaders, lawyers, social activists, and now, judges in AP is a serious threat to not just democracy but for national security also. Wrote to Prime Minister @narendramodi Ji and requested him to look into this serious issue immediately” (sic) wrote Mr. Naidu, urging the PM to take stringent action against the party led by Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy.
“The Centre should take stringent action so as to prevent the Jagan Reddy-led Yuvajana Shramika Rythu Congress Party (YSRCP) and some private persons from resorting to such illegal activities that pose a threat to national security,” Naidu said in his letter, adding that the ruling party and private individuals were using technology and illegal software to tap phones of the Opposition leaders, judges, journalists, and social activists.
“The ruling YSRCP is intimidating and blackmailing the opponents and dissenting voices, which is a violation of Articles 19 and 21 that provide for fundamental rights of citizens,” he said, adding that even private individuals were using cutting edge technology and equipment to unlawfully tap the phones.
“One such modus operandi that the ruling party has chosen is by illegally and unlawfully tapping the phones of leaders of opposition parties, advocates, media persons and social activities. Telephone tapping can only be done in the case of threat to national security or in the interests of sovereignty and integrity of India, a threat to friendly relations with foreign countries,” said Naidu in the letter.
Naidu noted that systematic efforts were being made to deny fundamental rights and perpetuate oppression in the state.
“If these nefarious activities were not put to an end, they would proliferate and emerge as a bigger threat to national security and sovereignty of the country. If the governments and private persons involved in such illegal activities were not restrained, they would attack and undermine the democratic institutions that were painstakingly built over decades of hard work in the country” he said.
He concluded by saying that many constitutional institutions in AP have come under attack since YSRCP came to power.
“Systematic attacks were made on the State Election Commission (SEC), AP Public Service Commission (APPSC), and other institutions. Threats were being issued to Opposition leaders, judges, media, social activists and all those who raise a dissenting voice against the ruling party’s excesses,” he added.
