Govt orchestrating a smear campaign

Former Digital Media Director Konatham Dileep on Wednesday hit back at the Congress government, accusing it of orchestrating a coordinated smear campaign. He said, “Digital Media Department’s spending in 2023 was higher than in previous years due to the Telangana State Decennial Celebrations (Dashabdi Utsavalu), a major event organised by the then government in May 2023. The aim was to widely publicise the achievements of various departments over the past decade through both mainstream and digital media”.
He added, “As part of this campaign, the Digital Media Wing produced numerous promotional videos, advertisements, documentaries, a website, and a mobile app. The Information and Public Relations Department had allocated a separate
budget for this purpose, and all expenditures were made under the scrutiny of two senior IAS officers. I am prepared to face any investigation that the State government may wish to conduct regarding these allegations”.
Refuting allegations that he spent Rs 18 crore of public money on foreign trips, Dileep clarified that his travels between 2014 and 2023 were official delegations led by former minister K T Rama Rao. “I was part of nine official investment tours abroad, all funded by the IT Department. None of them were personal, and the details are publicly available on social media,” he stated, adding that he was attaching photographs as proof.
He pointed out that the Digital Media Wing’s expenditure spiked in 2023 due to the Dashabdi Utsavalu, a State-wide campaign marking Telangana’s ten-year formation. “Videos, mobile apps, ads and documentaries were produced under the supervision of senior IAS officers. All financials were pre-approved,” Dileep explained, asserting that he welcomed any probe by the present government.
Drawing comparisons, Dileep questioned why the Congress government had not responded to an RTI filed in January 2024 seeking details about Revanth Reddy’s decision to take journalists on taxpayer-funded trips to Davos and other countries. “Why is that RTI unanswered even after 14 months?” he asked.
He also challenged the Congress government to come clean on its own digital media expenditure, claiming it had already spent double the amount spent during the BRS’s 10-year rule. “Didn’t you allocate Rs 28 crore for flex banners in villages to promote your loan waiver scheme?” he asked.
Referring to fresh cases filed against him, BRS working president KT Rama Rao, and BRS social media convenor Manne Krishank over posts about the SSC question paper leak, Dileep accused the government of “using illegal cases to muzzle voices of dissent.” “In just ten months, 11 cases have been filed against me. But I will not be silenced,” he declared.
Affirming his allegiance to the Telangana movement and leadership of KCR and KTR, Dileep concluded, “No amount of pressure or political vendetta will shake my resolve. I will continue to fight for Telangana’s interests until my last breath.”