Gadkari bugging row: Congress demands JPC probe

Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that in Gujarat telephones of as many as 29,000 people were tapped

Parliament was rocked today over the alleged bugging of Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's residence with Congress demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe to ascertain who ordered it but the government ruled out any investigation into a "non-issue".

The matter was raised vociferously in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha by the Congress which alleged that the methods used in Gujarat to snoop on ministers and legislators are being employed at the Centre.

The Upper House saw four adjournments -- two each during Question Hour and Zero Hour -- in the pre-lunch session.

Amid slogans - "Modi model nahin chalega" and "We want JPC", Deputy Leader of Congress Anand Sharma said in the Rajya Sabha, "Government is allowing tapping of telephones on a large scale. It is a question of privacy. This is a serious matter...Here we are talking of bugging. Who has allowed it? Our demand is a thorough probe to unearth the truth. It has to be discussed in the House."

In the Lok Sabha, Leader of Congress Mallikarjun Kharge expressed concern over reports that some listening devices were found at Gadkari's residence.

He alleged that in Gujarat telephones of as many as 29,000 people were tapped.

Amid uproar by some BJP MPs, he said Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself should come to the House and take the nation into confidence by giving a detailed statement on how many ministers, MPs and officials were being snooped.

However, the government ruled out any probe.

"When the news itself is false and baseless, the question of an inquiry does not arise," Home Minister Rajnath Singh said in Lok Sabha.

Insisting that the reports about should not be taken seriously, he said, "There is no truth in those media reports. The Minister too has termed the reports as baseless and factually incorrect."

Singh also said no high powered listening device was found at Gadkari's residence.

Gadkari was present in the Lok Sabha when the issue was raised by Congress, which unsuccessfully tried to highlight it when the House met for the day.

Outside Parliament, Singh later said there is "no basis" for any inquiry.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad attacked Congress, questioning why it was raising a "non-issue".