(Image source from: Why Modi govt must probe bugging in Gadkari's home})
After initial reports of bugging device being found at Union Minister Nitin Gadkari's home the Modi government is on a denial. Gadkari, the former BJP president, has insisted through Twitter that no such listening devices have been found at his Delhi home. He even termed the report as "highly speculative".
Nitin Gadkari's tweeted denial, however, has not satisfied the political class. As expected, the Congress called the incident symptomatic of a lack of faith and trust among NDA's top leaders.
The controversy started after reports surfaced that a listening device was found at Gadkari's residence, in his bedroom. News reports also claimed that a debugging exercise was immediately ordered. Apparently the bugging device was discovered accidentally. What made matters worse for the NDA was that The Sunday Guardian had been published the report. Incidentally, MJ Akbar (now a BJP spokesperson) had founded The Sunday Guardian.
Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh unexpectedly commented on the issue. Singh, who was attending the Iftaar party organised by Congress party president Sonia Gandhi, said that bugging at Gadkari's residence is an unfortunate incident. The government should investigate into the details. The matter should be explained in the House, added the former prime minister.
Congress leaders Manish Tewari and Randeep Singh Surjewala demanded an explaination from the BJP on the matter.
However, intelligence officials insist that the government has not ordered any debugging exercise. In case any device had been discovered, it would have been first sent to a forensic laboratory for analysis. But nothing of that sort had taken place, said officials.
A leading news daily had reported that IB official said that ministers' offices are routinely swept by the bureau, especially ministries that deal with sensitive issues. But sweeping exercise at a residence was unheard of.
Bugging of high profile minister's office is a common event. Even in the past bugging devices were found in in 2011 at the office of then finance minister Pranab Mukherjee. And everytime a debugging exercise attracts attention from political quarters.
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy has given a conspiracy theory to the incident. He claims that the bugging may be the work of the UPA regime as the discovery dates back to last year.
BJP spokesperson Sidharth Nath Singh was cautious saying that the government will respond after finding out whether the report is true or not.
However, if there was any truth about reports of listening devices being found in Gadkari's residence then the Narendra Modi government should be worried for the following reason.
Firstly, even if the party bigwigs like Modi, Gadkari and Amit Shah are at the best of relations. But there is no denying the fact that planting listening bugs inside a high-profile minister's residence indicates the handiwork of an insider.
Secondly, if the bugging is not the work of BJP insider or any corporate interest then the issue is more serious. PM Narendra Modi will soon make a trip to the US, and his itinerary is being finetuned at present. If it's a US involvement then it doesn't augur well for the new US-India relationship.
Finally, if the Modi government is sure that the report is not accurate, then it must ask itself how and why the Guardian published this information. And most importantly, who leaked it to the Gurdain and with what intension. The report of a listening devices being found in Gadkari's residence cannot have been leaked without vested interests.
One of the reasons for a weakened UPA government was an internal strife, between Pranab Mukherjee and Chidambaram. And the Congress had to pay the price for the rivalry between its senior leaders. The Modi government cannot afford such rivalry in its coterie, and that too so early in its regime.
(AW: Pratima Tigga)
