Hate campaign against senior Telangana Congress leaders started from its own social media department: Police

Where it all began

On 17 December last year, when senior members of the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) raised the banner of revolt, one of the allegations they made was that some people were carrying out a campaign of calumny against them on social media platforms.

The needle of suspicion was pointed at TPCC president Revanth Reddy. The seniors were up in arms against him.

The police — acting on a complaint by former TPCC president N Uttam Kumar Reddy — traced the source of the campaign to the Congress war room run by party strategist Sunil Kanugolu.

Uttam Kumar and his colleagues, at the other end of the dissident spectrum, were shocked to learn the fact that the abusive material being posted against them was coming from the Congress war room and suspected that the TPCC president might be behind it.

Also read: Youth Congress accuses police of raiding social media ‘war room’

Recent developments

In December, AICC war horse Digvijay Singh brought the two warring factions together and made them smoke the peace pipe.

The party’s high command acceded to the dissidents’ demand for the replacement of Manickam Tagore as the Telangana in charge as they suspected that he was dancing to Revanth Reddy’s tune.

Tempers subsequently cooled and the dust settled. However, the problem arose again on Tuesday, 16 May.

After it became known on Tuesday that Prashanth Jayala was responsible for the hate campaign against Uttam Kumar and other leaders, including CLP leader Bhatti Vikramarka Mallu, legislator Jaya Prakash Reddy T, former MP Madhu Goud Yashki, and MP Komatireddy Venkat Reddy, the party suspended him.

Also read: Congress replaces Manickam Tagore as Telangana in-charge

The police’s discovery

The police said that while they were investigating the complaint lodged by Uttam Kumar recently, they came to know that the source of the campaign was the TPYC social media department.

They said that while tracing the phone number from which abusive material was being posted, they zeroed in on an office which turned out to be the Congress’ social media department.

The party workers are worried that the latest development might turn into yet another ugly paroxysm that might damage the image of the party at a time when its prospects are improving.

It could not have come at a worse time as the party is trying to pull itself together and face the Assembly elections later this year as a cohesive unit.

Also Read: Congress rebels rise and revolt against Revanth Reddy