Cong demands probe in Gadkari bugging row, NDA rejects it

Congress-led Opposition might rake issue up in Parliament when it reconvenes on Wednesday

Over the last 48-hours, union minister Nitin Gadkari twice denied media reports that any listening devices were found at his New Delhi residence but speculation that his house was bugged refused to die.

Today, the Congress yet again demanded a probe into the alleged incident. It insinuated that the incident betrayed a lack of trust in the top echelons of the National Democratic Alliance government. Sources said the Congress-led Opposition might rake the issue up in Parliament when it reconvenes after a two day break on Wednesday.

The government, however, rejected demands for a probe, pointing out that the minister himself had denied that there was any truth in the reports.

BJP leader Subramaniam Swamy accused the previous United Progressive Alliance government to have been behind bugging Gadkari's residence at 13, Teen Murti Lane. Gadkari has been staying at the address since 2010, that is within months of having been appointed the BJP president. Presidents of all national parties are entitled to an MP bungalow.

On Sunday evening, former prime minister Manmohan Singh had said: “If ministers’ houses are bugged, then it is not a good omen. It should be investigated. How can it happen? It should be explained by the government in the House.”

Gujarat Congress leader Shaktisinh Gohil said on Monday it wasn’t surprising that a “spying culture” had come to the national capital. He said spying in Gujarat was a “well-perfected tradition”. Gohil alleged it was during Narendra Modi’s tenure as chief minister that a young woman was snooped upon, as was Cabinet minister Haren Pandya. “Since Gujarat has come to Delhi, so has the culture,” he said.

The government, however, rejected demands for a probe. “Since Gadkari himself has denied, we have nothing to say on it,” Home Minister Rajnath Singh said.

Gadkari had tweeted on Sunday that "reports in a section of the media about listening devices having been found at my New Delhi residence are highly speculative.". Today, Gadkari tweeted: "As already stated, I reiterate that no devices were found at my residence anywhere."

The report that Gadkari's 13, Teen Murti Lane MP bungalow was bugged and that listening devices were found was first published by The Sunday Guardian newspaper. The report, published on Sunday, claimed that Gadkari had informed the PM as also senior Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) leadership about the incident. It also claimed that intelligence agencies suspected "foreign hand".

Today Congress leader and lawyer Manish Tewari said the government must inform the citizens the legal architecture available to protect themselves from such incidents. UPA ally NCP's Tariq Anwar asserted that the government "must issue a statement in the House about the authenticity of the bugging incident and whether the PMO or any external forces are involved in it".

To a question on whether he had any knowledge of the American National Security Agency wanting to spy on BJP, former
external affairs minister Salman Khurshid replied in negative, saying the US had the best of relations with that party. "If they think there is something they must look at and investigate, then they should do it. It is important that they must share the information, once something like this has come out in public domain.... They must share the entire information to put public mind to rest and also to make sure that our country remains protected...," he said.