Kolkata:
As the Pegasus scandal rocks Parliament, a phone-tapping controversy has erupted in Bengal.
Police filed a case at present towards BJP chief Suvendu Adhikari over claims he has info of telephone calls to cops from the workplace of Abhishek Banerjee, Trinamool MP and nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
“I have phone numbers and records of all calls you (the police) get from the nephew’s office,” he declared at a rally in East Medinipur, warning Mr Banerjee “no one will be able to save you”.
At his assembly Mr Adhikari declared that the position of police officers in responding to those instances could quickly be probed by the CBI. He signed off on that remark with an ominous warning: “If you have the state government in your hands, we have the central government in our hands.”
“The CBI may soon investigate the role of the IOs, ICs and OCs. Then you will understand what is what… no aunt will be able to save you (a reference to Mr Banerjee),” he mentioned.
Mr Banerjee is amongst some opposition leaders, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and poll strategist Prashant Kishor, and journalists crucial of the federal government whose telephone numbers are on an inventory of allegedly focused for surveillance utilizing spy ware Pegasus.
“It is clear from his comments that phones are being tapped in Bengal by the centre,” Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh mentioned, as he demanded Mr Adhikari’s arrest.
Charges have been filed towards Mr Adhikari below the Official Secrets Act and the National Disaster Management Act.
The OSA was utilized for “wrongful possession of secret official code, passwords, documents, etc.” and the NDMA for holding a political assembly in violation of a ban on such gatherings (as a result of pandemic) and obstructing cops within the discharge of their duties.
Suvendu Adhikari, in the meantime, has dismissed the case.
To costs below the NDMA, he solely pointed to the ruling occasion, saying: “I can show you dozens of photos of Trinamool supporters protesting in large numbers against fuel price (hike)”.
