New Delhi [India], November 13 (ANI): Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha (LoP) Rahul Gandhi's allegations of phone tapping have triggered a fresh political confrontation between his party and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), with opposition leaders accusing the ruling establishment of targeting political opponents through surveillance, while BJP leaders dismissed the charges as baseless and questioned the Congress leader's credibility.
The allegations have brought together a series of sharp reactions from leaders across the political spectrum, with Congress leaders expressing support for Rahul Gandhi and demanding an explanation from the government, while the BJP countered that the claims lacked evidence and accused the LoP of making repeated unsubstantiated allegations.
Backing Rahul Gandhi's claims, Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said the Congress leader had not made allegations without documents and referred to the Pegasus controversy to question the possibility of surveillance targeting opposition leaders.
"Rahul Gandhi has never made an allegation without documents. If he's made the claim, it is true because earlier also you heard about the Pegasus case. And Pegasus was first used on PM Modi's cabinet colleagues, as reports said. So, when a person can use a sister spyware like Pegasus on his own colleagues, won't he be using it for opposition leaders?... " Kharge said.
Congress leader Ajay Rai also accused the BJP government of targeting Rahul Gandhi and monitoring the phones of opposition leaders, claiming that the alleged surveillance had been taking place for some time.
"It is clear that those in the BJP government are completely rattled...He is also resorting to phone tapping; our leader, Rahul Gandhi, is being targeted, and our phones are being tapped—this has been going on for some time...They are clearly terrified. As our leader, Rahul Gandhi, continues to grow closer to the common people, Mr Modi has completely panicked; he is now in no position to provide any answers..." Rai said.
Communist Party of India (Marxist) General Secretary MA Baby termed the allegation serious and called on the government to clarify its position.
"It's a very serious allegation made by LoP Rahul Gandhi. The government, if it believes in constitutionality and democracy, should come out with the facts. I think there is substance in the allegation of the LoP. So, the Prime Minister or the Home Minister should come clean and explain what the actual situation is," Baby said.
Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said technological advancements had made phone tapping easier and suggested that the issue could become more complicated in the age of artificial intelligence.
"Technology has made things so easy these days that anyone can tap anyone else’s phone. And this is just the beginning—in this era of AI, who knows what might happen next? This is nothing new..." Yadav said.
Reacting to Gandhi's phone-tapping allegation against the Centre, Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut claimed that leaders globally who resorted to surveillance, "from Nixon to Netanyahu", have all ended up losing elections.
"The reality is that, globally, those who have engaged in phone tapping-from Nixon to Netanyahu-have all ended up losing elections," Raut told reporters here.
Congress MP Renuka Chowdhury also alleged that Rahul Gandhi had been under constant surveillance, referring to the cases filed against him and his arrest.
"...What is it that this government hasn't done? What haven't they done? They arrested the LoP, filed over 40 cases against him, and kept him under constant surveillance, monitoring everything, from what he ate and drank to when he woke up. Given all this, it wouldn't be surprising at all if they were tapping his phone," Chowdhury said.
Senior Congress leader Salman Khurshid said Rahul Gandhi would have made the allegation after careful consideration and expressed concern over the alleged targeting of the Leader of Opposition.
"When he says something, he must be saying it with great thoughtfulness and with knowledge. And what he says, which is based on his knowledge, is something that we can't comment on," Khurshid said.
"We can only express our deep regret that somebody is doing this to the phone of the LoP, who is part of the democratic structure of our country," he added.
However, BJP leaders strongly rejected the allegations, questioning their basis and accusing Rahul Gandhi of making claims without evidence.
Keralam BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar dismissed the allegations, saying nobody was interested in tapping Rahul Gandhi's phone.
"Rahul Gandhi, I can only safely say to him, with all respect, must get his head examined. Nobody is bothered tapping his phone. Nobody is interested in tapping his phone. If anybody is interested, it's to understand why his brain only functions on lies day after day," Chandrasekhar said.
Union Minister BL Verma said allegations of phone tapping could be considered serious only when supported by evidence.
"We call it a serious allegation when there is evidence to support it... Rahul Gandhi has made many allegations, but there is no substance to them... I want to tell Rahul Gandhi that unless you have evidence or proof of something, you have no right to make any allegations..." Verma said.
BJP leader Ajay Alok also targeted Rahul Gandhi over the allegations, invoking the Pegasus controversy and questioning the Congress leader's repeated claims.
"Seven years later, the 'genie' has emerged from the bottle once again. Remember 2019—Pegasus, and the tapping of mobile phones? This 'genie' has resurfaced after seven years; the condition is worsening, and treatment is urgently needed. Back in 2018-19, I had already pointed out that this person is suffering from what is known as 'obsessive-compulsive neurosis'—a state where an individual repeatedly engages in the same behaviour. Treatment is now essential because the condition is escalating... I am concerned; after all, he is the LoP," Alok said.
Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya also took a swipe at Rahul Gandhi, saying there was no need for anyone to hack his phone.
"Rahul Gandhi has been hacked by a foreigner. There is no need for anyone to hack his phone," Maurya said.
Meanwhile, National President of the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) and MP Hemang Joshi questioned Rahul Gandhi's challenge for a debate and said the allegations reflected his desperation.
"His challenge for a debate has become a laughing stock for the public. He claims his phone is being tapped. But why are you so afraid? Why do you keep such material on your phone that makes you fear it might be tapped? Why are you communicating—from abroad, using various phones—with individuals who seek to dismantle India and destroy its economy? Why are you talking to the kind of people who want to see India's economy collapse? If you are in the right, it shouldn’t matter if someone taps your phone or does anything else; you shouldn’t have a thing to fear. These absurd allegations that Rahul Gandhi is making are merely a sign of his desperation..." Joshi said.
The political exchanges come amid the continuing controversy over Rahul Gandhi's phone-tapping allegations, with the Congress demanding answers from the government and the BJP maintaining that the claims must be backed by evidence. (ANI)
Rahul Gandhi's phone-tapping allegations trigger political slugfest; Congress leaders back claim, BJP dismisses charges as "baseless"
