Snoopgate probe an act of despair: Modi

BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has labelled as an "act of despair" the UPA government's decision to appoint a sitting judge to probe the so-called snoopgate controversy.

"It is an act of despair by a government which is becoming increasingly certain about its defeat. It is one of those last ditch efforts made by a government which seems increasingly inept at handling its defeat gracefully," Modi told IANS in an e-mail interview.

The snoopgate controversy broke out in November when two investigating portals reported the alleged tapping of the telephones of a woman architect by Gujarat Police. It was alleged that then state home minister Amit Shah, a close aide of Modi, was involved in tailing the woman on the alleged orders of the Gujarat chief minister.