Allegations of phone surveillance involving Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi have triggered a political confrontation, with the BJP invoking a past controversy over alleged monitoring of senior ministers during the UPA government and the Congress demanding an independent investigation.
The dispute centres on Gandhi’s claim that Modi was getting his phone tapped. The allegation drew sharp responses from BJP leaders, while Congress leaders called for an inquiry to establish whether surveillance had taken place.
BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi accused the Congress of raising espionage allegations despite the controversy surrounding alleged surveillance of senior ministers when the party was in power.
Naqvi referred to the 2011 controversy involving then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee. The episode followed an electronic sweep conducted by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) in September 2010 at Mukherjee’s North Block office and private chambers. The sweep allegedly detected adhesive substances resembling chewing gum at 16 locations, raising suspicions about possible eavesdropping devices.
Naqvi said the Congress had previously faced allegations that its own Home Minister and Finance Minister were under surveillance but had dismissed the findings as chewing gum stuck at the premises. He accused the party of routinely making claims of espionage without substantiating them.
Shiv Sena spokesperson Krishna Hegde also questioned Gandhi’s latest allegation, saying the Congress leader had made similar claims in the past without producing evidence. Hegde challenged Gandhi to present proof or submit his phone for forensic examination, accusing him of making allegations without backing them up.
The Congress, meanwhile, sought a formal inquiry rather than allowing the allegation to remain a political exchange. Party spokesperson Surendra Rajput asked the BJP to clarify whether phone tapping was taking place and said a sitting Supreme Court judge should investigate the matter.
Rajput also called for scrutiny of the alleged use of Pegasus spyware by the government and whether the Leader of Opposition had been targeted through phone surveillance. He said an investigation should establish the facts if Gandhi’s claims were false.
Congress leader Hussain Dalwai defended Gandhi’s concerns, arguing that unauthorised phone tapping amounted to a criminal act and violated citizens’ rights. He questioned the need for the government to monitor private conversations and said such surveillance undermined constitutional rights.
The competing claims have placed phone surveillance at the centre of the political dispute, with the Congress seeking an independent probe and the BJP challenging Gandhi to substantiate his allegation. No evidence establishing the alleged tapping of Modi’s or Gandhi’s phone was cited in the statements provided by the leaders.
