BJP says cabinet decision on Snoopgate a clear case of political vindictiveness

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday criticised the Union Government for its decision to appoint a commission of inquiry to probe snooping charges against the Gujarat Government.

"It is a clear case of political vindictiveness coming into play. The BJP is capable of meeting these challenges. They are not able to politically engage with Narendra Modi," said party spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman.

The Union Cabinet on Thursday cleared a commission, which will investigate the allegations of snooping on a woman and the misuse of state's machinery by the Gujarat Government, headed by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi.

Referring to the recent assembly elections, Sitharaman said, "After the drubbing they got in assembly elections, we thought the Congress would have learnt some lessons. But they are still continuing their emergency like fascist mindset. Even today, in spite of the public opinion going against them, the Congress is still engaging in a kind of witch-hunt."

"The setting up of an enquiry into a matter, which is entirely a state's subject, where already under the Enquiries Act, a commission with a retired judge and one another member, is already instituted and is investigating the matter," she added.

Sitharaman said the Union Government showing extraordinary enthusiasm and the timing with which they have come up to inquire into the so-called 'Snoopgate' smacks off the Congress Party's attitude to use any method to oppress any political opponent.

"Apart from this, it is also an assault on the centre-state relationship. The constitution has well defined the functions of both the state and the centre. This is case of Centre interfering in state's matters," she said.

The commission, which has been approved under Section 3 of the Commission of Inquiry Act of 1952, will investigate the charges of snooping against the Modi government, which is alleged to have happened in 2009.

News portals Cobrapost and Gulail had aired an alleged taped conversation between former Gujarat Home Minister Amit Shah, and police officer G.L. Singhal.

In the alleged taped conversation, Shah was instructing Singhal to closely monitor the movements of the woman referred to in the report as "Madhuri", not her real name.

Shah, who is currently heading the BJP election campaign in Uttar Pradesh, is alleged to have misused his powers and the state police machinery for the illegal surveillance of a young woman in August 2009 at the behest of his "saheb."

The Gujarat Government has set up a two-member panel of former judge Sugunaben Bhatt and retired bureaucrat K. C. Kapoor to probe the charges.