KTR serves defamation notice to Bandi Sanjay for remarks accusing his involvement in phone tapping; demands apology in a week

Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) working president and Sircilla MLA, K. T. Rama Rao (KTR), served a legal notice to Union Minister of State for Home, Bandi Sanjay Kumar, demanding an unconditional apology for what he termed as “false, defamatory and slanderous” remarks accusing the MLA of indulging in phone tapping using the police.

The notice, issued by KTR’s legal counsel, alleges that Mr. Kumar accused him of misusing the Special Intelligence Branch (SIB) for large-scale phone tapping during his tenure as Minister for Municipal Administration and Urban Development, Industries and IT in the previous BRS government.

The allegations made at a press conference on August 8, 2025, reportedly included the claims that thousands of phones, including those of political leaders, a High Court judge, the current Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy, and even members of former Chief Minister K. Chandrashekar Rao’s family were tapped for personal and political purposes.

The legal notice also mentioned that the Union Minister accused KTR of misusing phone tapping for personal and political purposes. It added Mr. Kumar alleged that individuals were falsely linked to Maoists to justify surveillance, private conversations between spouses were monitored and general public avoided regular calls, preferring encrypted apps like WhatsApp, FaceTime, and Signal due to fear.

KTR, in the notice, said the accusations were “malicious and vindictive,” and made “without any basis or proof whatsoever”, and with “mala fide intention” to tarnish his image and goodwill.

The BRS leader, who represents the Sircilla constituency, said the statements had caused him “considerable embarrassment and loss of reputation” both in India and abroad, with friends and family expressing concern after the remarks were widely circulated by television channels and on social media.

The notice demanded an unconditional public apology from Mr. Kumar within seven days and to refrain from making further defamatory comments. Or else, KTR would initiate both civil and criminal proceedings, holding the Union Minister responsible for all consequences.

KTR’s legal team also accused the Union Minister of “distorting facts and misleading the public” to advance his political agenda, asserting that such conduct was “unexpected of a Minister of State for Home Affairs.”

Before sending the legal notice on Tuesday (August 12, 2025), KTR rejected the allegations on the same day the allegations were made, and also warned that a defamatory notice would be served to Mr. Kumar if he didn’t apologise.