Published Jan 29, 2026 | 2:32 PM ⚊ Updated Jan 29, 2026 | 2:32 PM
BRS working president KT Rama Rao. Credit: x.com/KTRBRS
Synopsis: BRS has accused Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy’s office of running a misinformation network targeting its leaders. In a press release, the party alleged CMO officials were misusing government machinery, funds, and premises to spread fake news and defamatory content via social media. It demanded suspensions, criminal cases, and an SIT probe into the alleged propaganda operation.
The Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) has accused the Telangana Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) of running what it described as an “elaborate misinformation and fake propaganda network” targeting the party’s leadership, including former chief minister K Chandrashekar Rao and BRS working president KT Rama Rao.
In a press release on Wednesday, 28 January, the BRS alleged that Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy was misusing government machinery to operate a network of social media handles and websites that were allegedly spreading false information, abusive content and character assassination campaigns against BRS leaders.
The party claimed that it had obtained “clinching evidence” of the alleged operation through a whistleblower said to be working within the Chief Minister’s core team. According to the BRS, a wide network of Facebook pages, Instagram accounts, X handles and websites was being used to push what it termed fake news and defamatory material against opposition leaders.
What was “deeply disturbing”, the party said, was its claim that officials working in the CMO and reporting directly to the CM were allegedly involved in creating and circulating such content. BRS alleged that personal lives of women, unrelated to politics, were being dragged into the campaign to malign party leaders.
The press note further alleged that the same network had, in recent months, been involved in spreading false reports about phone tapping involving film personalities, terming it part of a broader misinformation strategy.
Central to the party’s allegations were purported chats from a WhatsApp group titled “TelanganaRising Top Communications Group”, which the BRS claimed was being run directly from the CMO. Screenshots from the group, the party said, allegedly showed coordination in pushing content against BRS leaders using government resources.
BRS named CM’s Public Relations Officer Anvesh Reddy, Director (Media and Communications) Sriram Karri, and Congress social media chairman Satish Manne, alleging that they were “jointly running” the purported operation. The party further alleged that crores of rupees of public funds were being diverted for these activities.
BRS also claimed that teams involved in the alleged social media operations were functioning from government premises, including the Telangana State Technology Services (TSTS) office opposite the State Assembly and the Hyderabad Growth Corridor office at Nanakramguda.
In its demands, BRS urged the Telangana Chief Secretary to immediately suspend officials allegedly involved in the WhatsApp group and sought their eviction from government offices. The party also called upon the Director General of Police (DGP) to register criminal cases against officials accused of misusing public funds and against those operating social media handles and websites alleged to be spreading fake news.
The party demanded that cases be registered under appropriate legal provisions against all platforms and individuals allegedly involved in the dissemination of false information.
Calling the allegations “shameful,” BRS said it was unfortunate that the CMO, “the highest government office in the state,” had allegedly become a hub for what it described as a social media mafia targeting an Opposition party and engaging in character assassination of women.
BRS also demanded the constitution of an SIT under the leadership of Hyderabad Police Commissioner VC Sajjanar to probe the alleged misinformation network operating from the CMO.
(Edited by Amit Vasudev)
