Rajasthan | BJP govt must release 'white paper' on phone tapping: Sachin Pilot

Jaipur, Feb 12 (PTI) Congress leader Sachin Pilot on Wednesday hit out at the state's BJP government saying that they have made a "mockery" of the system after cabinet minister Kiroda Lal Meena accused them of phone tapping.

Pilot said that phone tapping is a serious offence. Any such incident now or before should be transparently investigated and anyone including the party leader, officer or police official, if found guilty, should be punished.

"He (Meena) has given his resignation but the resignation has not been accepted. Being a minister he says that his phone is being tapped and the government doesn't have any answer to it. Mere party organisation is taking action. I think it has become a mockery," Pilot told reporters at a press conference.

The phone-tapping controversy erupted in July 2020 during a political crisis when the Congress was in power in Rajasthan. The crisis was the result of rebellion by the then deputy CM Sachin Pilot and 18 other Congress leaders against the leadership of Ashok Gehlot.

During the crisis, clips of alleged telephonic conversations between Gajendra Singh Shekhawat and Congress leaders surfaced, following which Gehlot had alleged that Shekhawat was behind the attempt of toppling his government.

He demanded the government should give clarification and issue a 'white paper' on the phone tapping allegations raised by the cabinet minister. He said that mere action taken at the party level is not sufficient.

The former deputy chief minister said that no government can violate the privacy of any citizen. When a citizen becomes a minister and alleges on a public platform that his phone is being tapped then the government should answer in the House.

BJP state president Madan Rathore had sent a notice of indiscipline to cabinet minister Kirodi Lal Meena for raising the issue that his phone calls were being tapped.

Meena talking to the reporters on Wednesday said that he had sent his reply to the state party president Madan Rathore yesterday itself. He however did not disclose the content of his reply.

Recently during a public meeting, Meena accused the government of phone tapping, which was raised by the Opposition in the Assembly.

Congress had demanded the resignation of the chief minister. The leader of the opposition did not even give a speech at the Governor's address due to protest. Congress MLAs kept raising slogans during the Chief Minister's speech.

Citing the High Court's remarks over the recruitment process of the Rajasthan Public Service Commission (RPSC), Pilot said that the High Court has to intervene on every issue.

"What is the government doing? So many power centers have been formed in the government and no one knows what is happening. If the court has to give directions and intervene in administrative issues, then it is not a good thing for the state," Pilot said.

He said that he has been saying that the selection and working system of the RPSC is completely compromised and it is needed that the government take reformative steps.

The government has not taken any effective steps in its first year to fill the backlog of posts to give government jobs. To secure the future of the youth, the state government should immediately run a campaign to fill the vacant posts, Pilot added. PTI