E-Paper
BJP demands CBI probe into Rajasthan phone tap
The Congress, which rules the desert state, hit back within hours, saying the BJP’s demand for a CBI probe amounted to “admission of guilt” and that it is attempting to “murder” the democracy.
Two days after the Congress party alleged that it has audio tapes purportedly containing conversations detailing a plot to topple the Rajasthan government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) demanded on Saturday a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into what it called a “saga of illegalities and concocted lies” and wondered whether the state adopted “unconstitutional” methods to tap into the phones of politicians.
The Congress, which rules the desert state, hit back within hours, saying the BJP’s demand for a CBI probe amounted to “admission of guilt” and that it is attempting to “murder” the democracy. It reiterated that the BJP is behind former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot’s rebellion that has triggered a political crisis in the state.
Also read: Audio tapes of ‘talks to topple Ashok Gehlot govt’ add to Rajasthan turmoil
Later in the day, the ministry of home affairs sought a report from the Rajasthan chief secretary Rajeeva Swaroop on the allegations of phone tapping and asked him to provide details on the audio clips, an official said.
At a press conference at the BJP headquarters in Delhi, party spokesperson Sambit Patra threw a volley of questions at the Congress. “Was phone tapping done? The Congress government in Rajasthan must answer. Is it not a sensitive and legal issue..?” he said.
“Assuming that you’ve tapped phones, was the SOP [standard operating procedures] followed? The people of Rajasthan want to know whether their privacy has been compromised. Did the Congress government in Rajasthan use unconstitutional ways to save themselves when they found themselves cornered? Is phone of any person who is related to politics is being tapped?” Patra asked.
The political tug of war intensified after the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police registered two first information reports (FIRs) on Friday on a Congress complaint alleging a conspiracy to dislodge the government. The Congress demanded the arrest of Union water minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, rebel Congress legislator Bhanwarlal Sharma, and suspected middleman Sanjay Jain. Shekhawat denied it was his voice in the audio clips and the BJP dismissed them as “manufactured”.
Also read: BJP refutes Congress’ claim of horse trading in Rajasthan, says audio tapes are fake
A court in Jaipur remanded Jain, who was arrested on Friday night, to four-day police custody. The SOG also filed an application seeking his voice samples. The team said it could not locate MLA Sharma. Like Shekhawat, Sharma too rejected the allegations. HT couldn’t independently verify the veracity of the tapes.
At the press briefing, Patra reiterated that there is a feud within the Congress party, but the BJP is blamed for Rajasthan’s political crisis that erupted after Pilot and 18 Congress legislators owing allegiance to him rebelled against chief minister Ashok Gehlot. Pilot was removed from the posts of the deputy chief minister and the state Congress president earlier this week.
Separately, former Rajasthan chief minister Vasundhara Raje said it is unfortunate that the state’s people are paying for the discord within the Congress. She added that the Congress is trying to shift the blame on the BJP and the BJP leadership.
“There is no point in trying to drag the BJP and BJP leaders’ names through the mud. It is the interest of our people that must remain paramount!” Raje said in a statement posted on Twitter.
Hitting back, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera told a virtual press conference that it is clear that the BJP is behind the rebellion by Pilot, whose camp is also believed to have the support of three independent legislators.
“We all witnessed over the last week the daylight murder of democracy being attempted by the BJP, and every day a new layer comes out, exposing its direct links in creating a crisis in Rajasthan,” he alleged.
“BJP’s only grievance is that when they were murdering democracy, why they were being recorded and if it was legal,” Khera said, in a swift response to Patra.
That the rebel legislators were sheltered in a hotel in BJP-ruled Haryana proved the party’s link to the Rajasthan political crisis, Khera said.
He also referred to the controversial audio tapes. “Everything is out there. A case was filed based on those recordings. The SOG of Rajasthan Police proceeded to Manesar to collect the voice samples of legislators [on Friday], but was blocked by Haryana police...then the legislators were made to leave quietly from the back door,” he added.
Khera alleged that there were attempts to shift rebel Congress legislators to Karnataka, another BJP-ruled state.
The state Congress leadership, too, claimed the BJP’s involvement in alleged attempts to topple the state government, and sought a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Countering Patra, Rajasthan minister Pratap Singh Khachariyawas accused him of being “a generator of lies”. “This is clear that BJP is involved in the conspiracy to topple the government. Our chief minister has said that he will quit politics if the audio tapes are proved to be fake..,” he said.
Amid the political tussle, Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati said: “The governor [Kalraj Mishra] must take cognisance of the political deadlock and instability prevailing in Rajasthan, and should recommend imposition of President’s Rule in the state, so that the condition of democracy in the state does not deteriorate.”
(With inputs from agencies)
