NEW DELHI, Mar 14:
Congress today created a major furore over Delhi Police officials visiting Rahul Gandhi’s residence and making queries about him even as the police chief rejected allegations of snooping, saying it was a routine exercise of being in touch with dignitaries.
Congress accused the Narendra Modi Government of carrying out “political espionage” on Gandhi and demanded a “comprehensive explanation from no less than the Home Minsiter and the Prime Minister” while rejecting the police claim that the episode as merely a security issue.
Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi said Delhi police officials, who visited the party Vice President’s residence, had made “unwarranted and weird” enquiries about him.
Asserting that no law permits such a procedure, he said the issue of “snooping and surveillance” on Gandhi would be raised in Parliament.
“Through you, we have raised it nationally. It is wider. We will raise it in all fora,” he told reporters.
Gandhi is on a sabbatical since the start of the Budget session of Parliament on February 23. Some police officials went to his residence on March 12 and reportedly asked how he looks like and what is the colour of his eyes etc.
“This kind of political espionage, snooping and surveillance, this kind of intrusion in politcial opponents’ life—this may be Gujarat model. It is not India’s model. The track record shows it is a model perfected in Gujarat especially for political opponents, judges, journalists and private persons…
“We are charging the Government, condemning it and strongly deprecating this kind of conduct. It is not only specific to Congress and Rahul Gandhi but in general against all political opponents,” Singhvi said.
Refusing to see it as a matter only concering police, he said they have better things to do than to “listen to the dictates of their political masters.”
Calling it a “serious national issue,” Singhvi drew its parallels with incidents of alleged phone-tapping and snooping in Gujarat when Modi was Chief Minister and said “it is something against which parties irrespective of political colour should stand up.”
Confirming that some police personnel visited Gandhi’s residence, Delhi Police Commissioner B S Bassi rejected the allegation of snooping and said such visits are a routine practice of being in touch with the dignitaries and there was no malafide in it.
“Rahul Gandhi was not targeted by the police. It was a routine activity which is done to keep records of vulnerable personalities. Police also visited houses of Veerappa Moily, L K Advani, K Chandrasekhar Rao among others. (PTI)
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