Cash-for-vote: AP seeks central probe into phone-tapping

The Andhra Pradesh government has sought an inquiry by the central government into the alleged illegal tapping of phone of chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu by the Telangana government led by K Chandrasekhar Rao, in connection with the cash-for-vote scam.

"We have asked the central government to inquire into the issue (phone tapping). There will a comprehensive inquiry into that. He (K Chandrasekhar Rao) will suitably be punished," Andhra Pradesh IT minister P Raghunath Reddy told reporters here today.

Reddy claimed the Telangana chief minister was "jealous" of Naidu as the latter took up developmental schemes with a vision.

"There is no sentiment (of separate Telangana) now. In order to divert people's attention and get votes in Hyderabad Municipal elections, KCR is trying to do all these things," he alleged.

AP and Telangana have locked horns ever since an audio tape containing the purported conversation between Naidu and nominated MLA Elvis Stephenson surfaced on June 7.

The phone-tapping episode is linked to the cash-for-vote scam centred around TDP's Telangana MLA Revanth Reddy, who is currently behind bars, for allegedly offering Rs 50 lakh bribe to Stephenson to vote in favour of a TDP nominee in the Legislative Council elections held earlier this month. The ACB has so far arrested three persons including Revanth Reddy in this case.