JOIN USCong to take up snooping issue in Parliament
The Congress said it will raise the issue of “snooping” on Rahul Gandhi in Parliament on Monday and accused the Narendra Modi government of keeping under surveillance many senior leaders of other opposition parties.
“The present government has much to answer when it comes to right of privacy of citizens. They are now trying to do it everywhere what was happening in one state. Both Modi and Amit Shah are now here. It is not confined to one person. It is much deeper. The practice that they had adopted in Gujarat, they want to carry it out everywhere now,” party spokesperson Anand Sharma told reporters here on Sunday.
The Congress has gone on the offensive against the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government after a recent visit by Delhi Police officials to Rahul’s residence seeking details about his physical appearance, came to the light.
While the Grand Old Party attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi accusing him of “political espionage” on Saturday, Youth Congress activists took to the streets to protest against the “intrusive” behaviour of the Delhi Police at the “behest of political masters”.
“We will raise the issue in Parliament,” Sharma said, insisting that surveillance was being carried out on senior opposition leaders and their phones were also being tapped by the BJP-led coalition at the Centre.
India cannot be allowed to be converted into a “police state”, stressed the Congress leader, who, in an interview to a section of media, claimed the tapping of phones of officers, judges and business leaders was done in Gujarat and now it was replicated nationally.
When asked if he had any proof to support the charge he was levelling against the Modi government, Sharma said: “Letters are not sent to political leaders, judges and others for tapping their phones. It can be proved only if the prime minister or home minister gives letters to Opposition leaders regarding their phone tapping.”
The Congress spokesperson pointed out that the leaders of opposition had raised the issue of tapping of their phones in the last Session of Parliament. But the Home Minister had refused to accept it, maintaining there was no such thing happening.
According to the Congress, Rahul has gone on a sabbatical and is likely to return at the end of March.