Kotamreddy Sridhar Reddy, MLA from Andhra Pradesh’s a Nellore, who had quit the YSRCP after accusing his own government of phone tapping, has written to Union Home Minister Amit Shah seeking Central protection and a formal investigation into his complaint about snooping by the intelligence wing of Andhra Pradesh police.

The MLA from Nellore Rural constituency whose allegations have embarrassed the Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy led Government in the state, complained to the Union minister that his life was under threat as he was receiving “threatening phone calls” from antisocial elements.

After Sridhar Reddy spoke to the media about his allegations of phone tapping, the YSRCP removed him as in-charge of Nellore rural constituency and appointed party MP Adala Prabhakar Reddy in his place. The state government has also removed his personal security officers by scaling down his security cover. He, eventually, announced his resignation from the party a week ago.

“I pray to the Hon’ble minister to provide protection to me and my family and probe into the phone tapping issue,” said the dissident MLA in his letter to the Union minister, explaining the circumstances that led to his resignation from the party and threat calls he has been receiving ever since he went public with his allegations.

Along with Sridhar Reddy another MLA Anam Ramnarayana Reddy from Nellore raised the banner of revolt against the ruling party, making similar allegations of phone tapping.

Nellore is a stronghold of the YSRCP where the party won all the ten seats in the last election. The YSRCP was quick to move to curb the rebellion in Nellore where there were too many heavyweights.

Both Sridhar Reddy and Anam Ramnarayana Reddy are on their way to the TDP. While Sridhar Reddy was with the YSRCP all along, Anam Ramnarayan Reddy was a Congressman who defected to TDP before switching his loyalty to the YSRCP.

The phone tapping allegations from the YSRCP MLAs had validated the TDP’s allegation of snooping by AP intelligence. Incidentally, when the YSRCP was in the Opposition, it had accused the TDP of procuring Pegasus spyware and using it for snooping on political rivals.