Gujarat: BJP challenges Rahul Gandhi to prove phone-tapping claim
Gujarat: BJP chief spokesperson Anil Patel on Saturday challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to lodge a formal complaint with the police or approach the Lok Sabha Speaker over his latest allegation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was tapping his phone.
Speaking to IANS, Patel said Gandhi had repeatedly made allegations against the government but had failed to substantiate them through formal channels. Referring to the 2021 Pegasus controversy, Patel claimed that Gandhi had not handed over his mobile phone for examination when asked by the investigating authority.
He said Gandhi could submit an application seeking an investigation, file a police complaint or write to the Lok Sabha Speaker if he believed his phone was being monitored. Patel accused Gandhi of making allegations without pursuing formal remedies and described his statements as “baseless”.
Patel was responding to Gandhi’s recent claim during an Instagram interactive session that evidence supporting his phone-tapping allegations was stored on his phone. Gandhi had also reiterated his challenge to PM Modi for a one-on-one public debate.
Patel further referred to Gandhi’s visit to President Droupadi Murmu over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, claiming that supporting evidence had not been submitted. He also alleged that Gandhi was attempting to create an atmosphere of instability in the country and that his statements were influenced by external forces.
Meanwhile, Congress leader B.K. Hariprasad also raised phone-tapping allegations against PM Modi, referring to a past surveillance controversy during his tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister. Patel rejected Hariprasad’s remarks, saying those making such allegations should approach official channels and provide evidence.
The Pegasus controversy dates back to July 2021, when an international media investigation reported that phone numbers belonging to several Indian politicians, journalists and activists appeared in a leaked database of potential surveillance targets.
However, the presence of a number on the list did not establish that the phone had been infected with Pegasus spyware. In August 2022, the Supreme Court said its independent technical committee had examined 29 mobile phones but found no conclusive evidence of Pegasus spyware in them.
