Congress demands probe by Supreme Court judge in alleged illegal spying issue

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.