India’s federal ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Saturday demanded a probe by the apex national investigative agency, Central Bureau of Investigation into the alleged tapping of phones of its leaders in Rajasthan. BJP Spokesperson Sambit Patra asked Rajasthan chief Ashok Gehlot if phone tapping was carried out using legal procedures or misused by the state machinery.
BJP’s charge followed allegations levelled by Congress Party national spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala on Friday, 17 July, about recordings, in which BJP leaders including federal minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat were heard conspiring with rebel legislators to topple the government headed by Ashok Gehlot. Shekhawat refuted the allegations.
The rebel legislators were led by former State Deputy Chief Sachin Pilot, who was also head of the Congress state unit. Though the party's central leadership asked Pilot to fall in line, he refused. On 14 July, Congress decided to drop him from the government and party positions, while two ministers supporting him were also removed from the government. Congress, however, did not expel the rebel legislators from the party.
The opposition party, since the trouble within its government in Rajasthan first cropped up, claimed that the BJP was trying to steal away its legislators and topple the government headed by Ashok Gehlot similar to an attempt in Madhya Pradesh in March.
In Madhya Pradesh, 22 legislators supporting Jyotiraditya Scindia rebelled against the state Chief Kamal Nath and quit their seats, bringing down Nath’s government. Scindia along with the rebel legislators later joined the BJP, paving the way for a BJP government in the state with the support of some independent lawmakers.
