Gujarat Congress dubs probe in snooping row as 'Save Modi Commission'

Ahmedabad: Terming the two-member inquiry commission constituted by the Gujarat government over alleged snooping on a woman by police, as an eyewash, state Congress on Tuesday dubbed it as 'Save Modi Commission'.

"A thief who steals, himself decides the investigating officer to nab the accused," Gujarat Congress chief Arjun Modhwadia said, reacting to the constitution of the commission.

"Instead of handing over the probe to a sitting judge of Supreme Court or lodging a complaint, a 'Save Modi Commission' has been constituted to cover-up the entire incident," he alleged.

Gujarat snooped on 93,000 calls, alleges Congress

Modhwadia said that when call details (photocopies of telephone bills) of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley had been illegally accessed, the BJP did not allow Lok Sabha to function for three days.

Delhi Police had nabbed the person who accessed Jaitley's calls and his accomplices and put them behind bars.

"But, in this case, the woman's phone, her relatives' phone calls and suspended IAS officer Pradeep Sharma's phone conversations were tapped. Despite the serious allegation, no FIR has been lodged," he said.

"The contracts of state government were awarded to the woman and her family members illegally," he alleged.

Gujarat government had last week denied that it had any role in awarding contracts to a company owned by the brothers of the woman who was being 'illegally' snooped upon by state police.

Under attack over alleged snooping on a woman by Gujarat police, Narendra Modi government last night appointed a two-member Commission of Inquiry headed by a retired woman judge of the Ahmedabad High Court.

Retired Justice Sugnaben Bhatt of Gujarat High Court and former Additional Chief Secretary Home K C Kapoor have been asked to conduct an inquiry into the entire incident and submit a report within three months.

Two investigative news portals, Cobrapost.com and Gulail.com had claimed on November 15 that Modi's close aide Amit Shah had ordered illegal surveillance of a woman at the behest of one 'Saheb'. They had released taped conversations between Shah and IPS officer G.L. Singhal to support their claim, but said that its authenticity could not be confirmed.

Civil society organisations and opposition Congress had raised furore over the alleged snooping incident and demanded a CBI inquiry. BJP had defended the action of the Modi government by saying that father of the woman in question had demanded protection for her.

The father of the woman had also written a letter to the National Commission of Women (NCW) saying that it was an earnest wish of his daughter that no further probe was necessary as being politically demanded.

Next: Snooping inquiry just matchfixing, eyewash by Modi: Congress

Snooping inquiry just matchfixing, eyewash by Modi: Congress

New Delhi: Dismissing as 'eyewash' and 'matchfixing' the probe ordered Gujarat government into the snoopgate, Congress on Tuesday stepped up attack on Narendra Modi asserting that nothing short of an inquiry by a Supreme Court judge will do.

"This match fixing will not be accepted.... Nothing short of an inquriy by a Supreme Court will be acceptable. Because they are on defensive they think that some kind of an eyewash has to be done. We reject this.

"Setting up of this commission of inquiry is mere an eyewash. The Commission has two members from a backward class commission of the state and the other is one who has worked under the then Minister of State for Home Amit Shah....Congres party slams the Commission of inquiry," party spokesperson P.C. Chacko told reporters here.

Questioning the 'silence' of Modi and Shah over the episode, Chacko said that they should come out with explanation on the whole issue.

"What does their silence mean. It is so intriguing. Both Modi and Shah are silent. BJP's PM candidate is number one accused in the case and he has violated all human rights and all norms and rules. He is not responding. Their silence speak of volumes. They are on the defensive," the Congress spokesperson said.