MP Congress Chief Alleges Phone Tapping, BJP Dismisses Claim as 'Publicity Stunt'

Bhopal: The Congress on Tuesday lodged a complaint with the cyber police here alleging tapping of the cellphone of state party president Jitu Patwari.

A Congress delegation led by party spokesman Mukesh Nayak met the Director General of Police and demanded a probe into the matter.

Nayak alleged that certain important documents such as the party's strategy for its revival in Madhya Pradesh had been stored in Patwari’s cellphone and feared that they may have been hacked and later restored.

He described the move to tap Patwari’s cell phone as ‘purely political’ and alleged BJP’s hand in it. “Who else will benefit by tapping Patwari’s cell phone? Obviously, it is BJP”, he said.

The BJP reacted sharply and state party secretary Rajneesh Agrawal said: “First of all, the BJP never indulges in such activities. Besides, we do not consider Patwari worthy to be taken note of. It is a publicity stunt by Congress to divert attention from the brewing revolt against Patwari. Patwari has made fun of himself by floating such baseless rumours.”

Agrawal was referring to the recent development in which a growing number of Congress leaders openly questioned Patwari’s leadership in the wake of the debacle of the Congress in the recent Assembly and Lok Sabha elections.