Congress, activists take snooping issue to president

The Congress Monday led a delegation of women activists who submitted a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee demanding a judicial probe into the alleged stalking of a woman by Gujarat Police in 2009.

The move would step up pressure on BJP prime minister candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

Around 40 women, including leaders of the women's wing of the Congress, Communist Party of India and Nationalist Congress Party, several women's NGOs, human rights activists and social activists met the president at Rashtrapati Bhavan and submitted a memorandum demanding a judicial probe into the issue, Congress sources said.

Mahila Congress chief Shobha Oza, Shabnam Hashmi of Anhad, Annie Raja of National Federation of Indian Women and social activist Farah Naqvi were part of the delegation which met the president.

The Congress has alleged that the woman was close to Modi and was put under surveillance by the then minister of state for home and Modi aide Amit Shah in 2009 after Modi suspected her of being close to an IAS officer.