Rajasthan Crisis: BJP questions Congress on phone tapping; seeks CBI probe into audio tapes released

The party also demanded a Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI) inquiry into the allegations made by the Congress that BJP was working with its rebel leaders to bring down the Gehlot government.

"The BJP wants a CBI probe into the entire episode. Were all the SOPs followed while tapping the phone call. Is the ruling government in Rajasthan doing this to every political party in the state? We want an immediate CBI inquiry into all this," Party spokesperson Sambit Patra said today in a press conference.

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala, who was an observer in legislative party meet in Jaipur which unanimously passed a resolution to oust Sachin Pilot from all posts in Rajasthan, had spoken in a press conference on Friday about tapes where BJP leaders including Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat was hatching a plan to topple the state government.

Both BJP and Shekhawat have dismissed the allegations, claiming that Congress is implicating the party and its leaders.

Patra alleged that Congress is trying to blame BJP for a conspiracy that had been planned and executed within its camp.

"Congress party has a long history of phone tapping and bugging to settle their political scores. Is it not a case of ‘like father, like son’ even today?" he said.

“These are serious questions that we want to ask the Rajasthan Congress and Ashok Gehlot,” the BJP tweeted as well.

“1. Was phone taping done? The Congress govt in Rajasthan must answer. 2. Is it not a sensitive and legal issue, if phone taping has been done? 3. Assuming that you’ve taped phones, was the SOP followed? The people of Rajasthan want to know whether their privacy has been compromised. 4. Did the Congress govt in Rajasthan use unconstitutional ways to save themselves when they found themselves cornered? 5. Is phone of any person who is related to politics is being tapped?” it asked.

Rajasthan police’s Special Operations Group (SOG) on Friday lodged two FIRs after party’s chief whip Mahesh Joshi lodged a complaint on Thursday night on the basis of three audio tapes, allegedly of conversations detailing the plot to bring down Ashok Gehlot's government, media reports said.