New Delhi: A bitter war of words ensued between country’s two main political parties Congress and the BJP minutes after the Centre on Thursday ordered the setting up of an inquiry commission to probe allegations of snooping against the Gujarat government led by Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
While the Congress defended the Centre’ move and said that the alleged spying on a woman officer by the Gujarat government was a gross violation of Indian Telegraph Act and the IT Act, the main opposition party termed it as a politically motivated move.
BJP chief Rajnath Singh said the centre’s decision to institute a fresh inquiry into the alleged snooping caseis an attempt to tarnish the image of the Gujarat government. It is a step against the federal structure of our constitution. When the state government had already ordered a probe, what was the point behind setting up a new commission of inquiry?
Arun Jaitley said the decision would be challenged in court. The Gujarat government has already set up a commission of inquiry the setting up of a parallel commission by the central government ostensibly on the pretext of this issue covering more than one state is without basis I am sure it can be legally challenged.
BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said to media, Congress is trying to hit at the principal opposition party’s prime ministerial candidate. It is a clear case of political vindictiveness coming into play. The probe was into a matter that was a state subject. Also, an inquiry was being held under the Commission of Inquiry Act by a retired judge and another member, Sitharaman said.
Gujarat Government spokesperson Nitin Patel said last night, as per the Commission of Inquiry Act, it is illegal to appoint another commission, when one commission has been appointed to inquiry into a particular incident. We will explore all legal options against the commission of inquiry constituted by the Central Government.
As the issue snowballed into a major controversy, the Modi Government in late November formed a two-member inquiry commission headed by Justice (retd) Sugynaben Bhatt and asked it to submit a report in three months.
Bureau Report
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