AP Data Theft Case: Speaker Terms YSR Congress Immoral

Andhra Pradesh Assembly Speaker Kodela Siva Prasada Rao on Tuesday spoke on the sensational "data theft" case involving the two Telugu states' governments.

Stating that it was the data of the TDP's cadres that was involved and stolen, the Speaker said that it was surprising that the leaders of the main Opposition party in AP, the YSR Congress Party, had filed a complaint on the issue, which was related to the TDP.

He also expressed surprise at the statements of the YSRCP leaders that the TDP had removed the names of the votes of their (the YSR Congress Party's) party's followers and supporters, without any proof. He said that votes were in fact being deleted at the behest of YSRCP political strategist Prashant Kishor. He also alleged that attempts were being made by the YSRCP leaders to create a rift among the people of different communities. Baseless allegations were being made against him, too, he claimed, and challenged the YSRCP leaders to come forward and fight face-to-face instead of resorting to whispering campaigns.

He termed the actions of the YSRCP leaders in the whole issue as immoral, and claimed that he had never seen such incidents in his long political career which began in 1983. He urged the people of the State, officials and others to be on high alert given the shenanigans of the YSR Congress.

Rao also alleged that the TRS and YSRCP had become puppets in the hands of the BJP, and that the Telangana government was acting in an over-zealous manner in the data theft case.