93,000 calls intercepted in Gujarat in seven months: Congress

NEW DELHI: Congress added another twist to the controversy over Gujarat government machinery putting a woman under close watch by alleging that the state police had made 93,000 illegal interceptions in seven months.

On a day Congress and representatives of political parties such as CPI joined social activists and petitioned President Pranab Mukherjee over the issue, party spokesperson PC Chacko questioned the silence of BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and his close aide Amit Shah. The party alleged that the Gujarat police had kept mediapersons and businessmen under illegal surveillance in the state. “This means an average of 550 interceptions per day. And they were in power for so many years. It clearly shows how right to privacy of citizens was grossly violated,” Chacko said. The situation in Gujarat clearly showed that it was a “reign of terror under Narendra Modi”, he said.

The party expressed shock over the BJP’s reaction to the allegations and the party’s senior leaders like Arun Jaitley calling them “frivolous”. “We want to ask Mr Jaitley that if these charges are so frivolous then why don’t you allow a judicial probe? Women of this country don’t think this is frivolous,” said senior Congress leader Rita Bahuguna Joshi.

Criticising Jaitley for his “audacity” in accusing Congress of using disgruntled officials to attack Modi, Chacko said it appeared that the tweets and taunts have disturbed the BJP. “How many disgruntled officers are there in Gujarat?” he asked. Jaitely had said that while top Congress leaders remain in the background, others attack Modi through their tweets and taunts, which was interpreted as the BJP leader's jibe at Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh.

Representatives of the Congress, CPI and other parties joined social activists in accusing Modi aide Shah of committing offences under the Indian Telegraph Act and Indian Penal Code “under directions” from the BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate in running an “illegal snooping racket” against a young woman, her friends and acquaintances, “transgressing” constitutional and legal power. Mahila Congress president Shobha Oza said the President personally received the petition and she is “hopeful that action will be taken”.

CPI leader Annie Raja dismissed the contention that political parties joining social activists at this juncture gave the impression that the move was an anti-BJP initiative. “Some sort of criticism will be there, you take up any issue. But for us it is a very important issue. If it is today a girl in Gujarat, tomorrow it may be me or somebody else in any other part of the country. These are all political issues. It's not somebody's personal matter. It is very important for the democracy of our country and safeguarding (of) our constitution. Political parties cutting across party line should take it up,” she said.