Mayawati accuses Rajasthan CM of phone tapping, calls for President's Rule

Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) president Mayawati on Saturday accused Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot of acting "illegally" and called for President's rule in the state over the phone tapping row.

"Rajasthan Chief Minister first violated the anti-defection law and betrayed the BSP by admitting its MLAs into the Congress. And now he apparently made another illegal decision by tapping phones,' Mayawati tweeted.

"The Governor of Rajasthan should take effective cognizance of the continuing political deadlock, mutual disturbance and instability in the government and recommend imposition of President's rule in the state to save democracy," the former Uttar Pradesh said in another tweet.

Notably, the Special Operations Group (SOG) of the Rajasthan Police yesterday registered two FIRs alleging a conspiracy to topple the Gehlot led government in the state after the Congress chief whip Mahesh Joshi lodged a complaint claiming that three audiotapes, purportedly of conversations detailing the plot.

Rajasthan Congress continues to remain in turmoil after simmering differences between Sachin Pilot and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot came out in the open. Pilot was sacked as Rajasthan Deputy Chief Minister and state Congress chief on July 14.

Gehlot has blamed the BJP for attempting to destabilise the state government by poaching MLAs. Pilot was miffed after the SOG sent him a notice to record his statement in a case of alleged poaching of Congress MLAs in the state.