Gujarat model of keeping politicians, citizens under watch through phone tapping implemented by Fadnavis government, says state Congress chief Nana Patole

Days, after the Pune Police lodged an FIR against IPS Officer Rashmi Shukla in connection with the illegal phone tapping of a few politicians, the Congress party on Monday, lashed out at the former Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for adopting the Gujarat model to keep people under watch by intercepting their phones illegally.

The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee Chief Spokesman Atul Londhe urged Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to institute a probe against Fadnavis who was also holding the home department during the BJP led government from 2014-19.

‘’During the Fadnavis government, there has been a serious issue of illegal phone tapping of leaders belonging to opposition parties in the state. The Gujarat model of keeping people under the scanner was implemented in Maharashtra. A case has already been registered against IPS officer Rashmi Shukla. But it needs to be probed who ordered Shukla to tap the phones of opposition leaders. It should come to the fore and therefore Fadnavis’ role should be investigated,’’ said Londhe.

‘’In 2017-18, the phones of Congress state president Nana Patole and leaders from Shiv Sena, NCP and several BJP ministers, leaders and also of IAS and IPS officers were illegally tapped,’’ claimed Londhe. He said that the Congress party will take up the illegal phone tapping issue during the upcoming budget session of the state legislature starting from March 3 in Mumbai.

Londhe said the state government should not restrict the probe into the illegal phone tapping merely against Shukla but it should widen the scope of the investigation.