Congress stooping to low level of politics: Raman on snoopgate

Slamming the Centre's move to set up a commission of inquiry to probe the "snoopgate" case in Gujarat as "political vendetta", Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh today said Congress has stooped to a low level of politics over the issue.

Contending that the inquiry commission was an insult to states and amounted to an encroachment of their jurisdiction, Singh said, "Congress has resorted to a low level of politics after it failed in the contest against (BJP Prime Ministerial candidate) Narendra Modi in the recent Assembly polls, in which the party lost (to BJP) in four states."

The Union Cabinet had yesterday decided to set up an inquiry panel to investigate the matter of the illegal snooping on a woman by Gujarat police, allegedly at the behest of Chief Minister Modi.

"It (decision on the inquiry panel) is an unethical step by the Centre. It will also pave the way for legal, political and administrative confrontation between Centre and the states," Singh said in a statement here.

Stating that Gujarat government has already constituted an inquiry commission to look into the case, Singh claimed that the Centre's decision would destroy the federal structure in the country.

"It (the decision) proves that the Centre is ready to break any federal structure for political mileage. We will protest against it at all levels," he said.

Singh, meanwhile, welcomed an Ahmedabad court decision rejecting a petition seeking action against Modi for his alleged role in the 2002 post-Godhra riots.

"There have been many conspiracies to trap the Gujarat Chief Minister. But after the court judgement, the truth is out... BJP and Modi will emerge stronger from these controversies," he said.

The court of a Metropolitan Magistrate had yesterday accepted a closure report filed by a Special Investigation Team that went into the probe over the riots and rejected a petition against Modi and others.