Amit Shah snooping allegation: Cong attacks Modi, seeks SC probe

New Delhi: Targeting Narendra Modi, Congress women leaders today demanded a probe by a sitting or a retired Supreme Court judge to fix accountability on alleged illegal spying on a woman architect in Gujarat in 2009.

The party questioned whether a person with such disregard for individual privacy guaranteed by the Constitution deserves to hold any public office.

Senior party leaders Jayanthi Natarajan and Girija Vyas, both Cabinet ministers, and UP Congress President Rita Bahuguna besides other women leaders addressed a press conference and demanded a probe by a sitting or retired Supreme Court judge to fix accountability in the matter.

Two investigative portals, Cobrapost and Gulail, had claimed on November 15 that Amit Shah, the former home minister of Gujarat and Modi’s close aide, had ordered illegal surveillance of a woman at the behest of one “saheb”.

The portals had released taped conversation between Shah and an IPS officer to back up their claim, adding that its authenticity could not be confirmed.

Bahuguna said, “The reply by BJP President Rajnath Singh is a virtual endorsement of the authenticity of the tape. It also makes it clear that ‘Saheb’ is Narendra Modi.”

Natarajan recalled BJP’s angry reaction to the illegal access to call detail records of its leader Arun Jaitley and how the party had not allowed Parliament to function for days.

Several criminal cases were registered and accused were arrested, she said, demanding similar action in this case.

“We feel deep sense of horror, disgust and shame over the violation of that woman’s privacy,” she said.

“Can a CM use his MoS Home, use ATS to watch over this young woman? Natrajan asked. “Are the women of this country safe if the tapes put out by Cobrapost true and authentic?,” she asked.

The women leaders expressed surprise over the silence of the Gujarat Chief Minister on the matter till date. “Let the Chief Minister answer first” to the revelations, Natrajan said. They recalled that leakage of call details of Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley had led to vociferous protests by BJP and stalling of Parliament for three days. It also led to registration of criminal cases and arrest of those found prima facie guilty.

“Should similar action be not initiated against Modi, Amit Shah and others involved in this illegal snooping racket?”, they asked.

They also asked whether it is not a fact that illegal interception of the nature allegedly conducted by Modi, Shah along with police officers makes it out a clear case under different sections of the Indian Telegraph Act and IPC.

“Would it not tantamount to stalking? Does it not violate the very oath of office to Constitution and people by Modi?”, they wondered. In a set of questionnaire to the Gujarat Chief Minister, his close associate as also the BJP, they wondered whether Modi and Shah have the right to allegedly conduct surveillance of a young girl as also tapping her phones, phones of her friends and acquaintances with “complete impunity in a totally illegal fashion?”.

“Will Modi and Shah state as to from where the money, resources, vehicles and plane tickets generated for the purposes of surveillance? Did the money belong to public exchequer?”, they asked.

Noting that the young woman was allegedly followed by the police across the boundaries of states to malls, restaurants, gyms and wherever she went, they said this raised “pertinent questions about credibility, credit worthiness and faith that one can repose in a person like Modi holding the high office of CM of Gujarat”.

PTI