BJP cries foul as Centre to set up panel on Snoopgate

While the Gujarat Congress welcomed the development, the state BJP termed the decision of the Union government as 'unconstitutional' and 'politically motivated.'

The Union government on Thursday decided to set up a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to go into charges of spying on a young woman in 2009, allegedly involving Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and his close aide, former minister of state for home Amit Shah. The union Cabinet took the decision under the Commissions of Inquiry Act under which, the Modi government has already set up a similar panel.

While the Gujarat Congress welcomed the development, the state Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) termed the decision of the Union government as 'unconstitutional' and 'politically motivated.'

"The decision to set up a commission when one has already been constituted by the state government is unconstitutional," Gujarat BJP spokesperson Vijay Rupani said. "This is a state issue and by this decision, the union government is encroaching upon a state subject. This will harm the federal structure of our democracy," he added.

Rupani was of the opinion that this was a political move by the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance ahead of the general elections in 2014. "This step is politically motivated as the nation-wide popularity of Modiji has become evident from the recent results of the five assembly elections where BJP won in three states," the BJP leader said.

Adding that the Congress wants to malign Modi's reputation by using such an issue as they cannot compete with him in terms of development and good governance.

On its part, Gujarat Pradesh Congress Committee spokesperson Manish Doshi said, "We welcome the Centre's move to set up an inquiry panel and hope that the government will take this manner seriously."

"We had written to Her Excellency the Governor of Gujarat as well as to the Centre, demanding such a panel to be set up. This issue is no more restricted to a single state. Rather, it has become a multi-state affair. It is also now no more about snooping over a single person but evidence proves the number of victims run in thousands. We now demand strict action against the guilty. As for us, we will provide all the support we can to the panel," Doshi said.