Gujarat snooping row: Woman doesn't want probe, writes father to NCW

Ahmedabad: Father of the woman, who was allegedly snooped on by Gujarat Police on the orders of a key Narendra Modi aide, has told the National Commission of Women (NCW) that his daughter does not want any probe into the issue as there was no encroachment on her privacy. “It is an earnest wish of my daughter that no further probe (in snooping issue) is necessary as being politically demanded,” he said today in a letter to NCW and Gujarat State Commission for Women. [caption id=“attachment_1239053” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Amit Shah is believed to be the man behind the tapes. AP[/caption] “I, on behalf of my daughter, urge that whatever help was rendered upon my request was within her knowledge and in her own interest, safety and security, and there has been no encroachment on her privacy as sought to be made out,” he said in the two-page letter. “My daughter is an architect and educated person. She is married and deeply perturbed by the intrusion upon her personal life and privacy. With a view to ensure that her anonymity and whereabouts remain out of public gaze, she has requested me to write this letter to the honourable Commission (NCW) on her behalf and at her request,” he said. Two investigative news portals, Cobrapost.com and Gulail.com, had claimed on November 15 that Amit Shah, an aide of Modi and former Minister of State for Home of Gujarat, had ordered illegal surveillance of a woman at the behest of one “Saheb”. They had released taped conversations between Shah and IPS officer G L Singhal to support their claim, but said its authenticity could not be confirmed. “In 2009, due to personal and family reasons, I had made a request to the Chief Minister, Gujarat to take steps in my daughter’s interest. Considering the fact that the issues bothering me and my family were personal in nature, I deemed it fit to make an oral request to the Chief Minister (Modi) as political head of the state of Gujarat with whom I have long standing relations spread over two decades”, he said. “My daughter is fully aware of all types of help that was rendered by the State machinery considering a genuine request of a father for his daughter. She is fully conscious that the said help was absolutely necessary and was in her own interest, safety and security,” the father said. “Inspite of above facts, issues concerning my married daughter, her personal life and of my family are being publicly raised by certain vested interest groups in the media ostensibly on grounds that her right of privacy is violated,” he said. “She strongly feels and it also clearly appears that under the guise of protecting my daughter’s right to privacy, her personal right of privacy is being grossly breached manifestly for political objectives,” the letter said. “Kindly, therefore, ensure that my daughter’s personal issues are not publicly discussed in the media, and if any person, body, political party or authority approaches this commission, based upon any fact concerning her, let no cognisance be taken by this commission,” he demanded. Congress and CPI (M), among other parties, have demanded a probe into the illegal surveillance episode allegedly involving Shah. PTI