BJP slams Rajasthan govt over phone tapping incident

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday demanded chief minister Ashok Ghelot's resignation. The BJP lashed out at the Congress government over the phone tapping incident and demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

New Delhi:Harping on the Rajasthan government's recent admission about the 'interception' of telephonic conversations, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday demanded chief minister Ashok Ghelot's resignation. The BJP lashed out at the Congress government over the phone tapping incident and demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

A controversy had erupted in Rajasthan after audio clips of telephonic conversation between Union minister Gajendra Singh and Congress leaders surfaced. Eight months after the phone tapping controversy, the Gehlot government recently confirmed that phones were indeed "intercepted."

BJP MP Rajyavardhan Singh Rathore alleged that the Congress government of Rajasthan is spying on its people by misusing the Telegraph Act.

"Our (Rajasthan) government is spying on its people. It's not to strengthen the country or to catch terrorists. It was done for political gains. If you want to do phone tapping, which can be done according to the Constitution, do it for the state's benefit, not on common people," Rathore said.

He added, "Rajasthan govt misused 69 (A) & Telegraph Act. They have accepted phone tapping in the Assembly, in a written reply. But when the government was on verge of falling, CM Gehlot had said that if phone tapping has happened, he will resign."

The confirmation was posted on the website of the Rajasthan Assembly in reply to a question asked during the House session of August 2020.

(With inputs from agencies)