Rajasthan: Eight Months After Political Crisis, Gehlot Government Makes A U-Turn And Admits To Phone Taps

Eight months after leaked telephonic conversations between a Union Minister and leaders of Congress in Rajasthan had fomented a political crisis in the State, Chief Minister (CM) Ashok Gehlot led Government has admitted that calls were indeed tapped by Rajasthan Police, reports Indian Express.

The confirmation of phone tapping came as a reply to a question asked in the Rajasthan Assembly's House session of 2020. Sitting BJP MLA and a former health minister in the State Government Kalicharan Saraf had then asked, "Is it true that phone tapping cases have come up in the last days? If yes, under which law and on whose orders? Place full details on the table of the House."

The delayed reply by the State Government gains significance as the reply posted on the website of Rajasthan Assembly flies in the face of earlier assertions made by both, CM Gehlot and his Government.

It should be noted that the reply states that telephone interception has been done by the Rajasthan Police under the above provision and only after obtaining permission from the competent officer. It adds that “interception cases are reviewed by Chief Secretary, Rajasthan, who presides [over the meetings] as per rules. All cases till November 2020 have been reviewed.” However, the reply has not specified the telephone numbers which were intercepted.

CM Gehlot had earlier denied involvement of his government in the phone tapping case. He had even stated that he would resign and leave politics if the allegations that the audio clips were “fake”, were proven to be correct.

“Dekhiye humare yahan kaayda nahi hota hai ke kisi MLA ka ya mantri ka phone tap karein (It is not our way to tap phones of any MLA or minister),” Gehlot had said in an interview with ABP News in July.

“Agar main jhoothi tap banwaun logon ki, apne hit ke andar, sarkaar bachane ke liye, toh mera moral adhikar hai kya ke main sarkaar mein bana rahun?” he added.