Maharashtra Minister levels phone tapping allegations on previous Fadnavis-led government

Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh has levelled serious allegations stating that the phones of the Opposition leaders were tapped during the Maharashtra assembly elections. An investigation has been ordered regarding the same, the minister added. 

Deshmukh said that during the 2019 Lok Sabha and Maharashtra assembly polls, the phones of non-BJP leaders were tapped. However, the minister didn’t name leaders whose phones were allegedly tapped. 

The BJP-led government had tapped phones of senior NCP and Congress leaders through government mechanism. They had stooped low in politics. We have initiated a probe into the matter,” The Hindu quoted Deshmukh. 

Earlier, Maharashtra Minister Jitendra Awhad took to Twitter to slam the previous BJP-led government while labelling the alleged phone tapping as “sick mentality” of the saffron party. 

Why do you want to peek into the private life of others,” said Awhad, who is an NCP leader, demanding a probe into the matter while saying that Maharashtra should know who is behind this. 

On Twitter, Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Friday also said that a BJP leader had informed him that his phone was being tapped by the previous government in Maharashtra. 

You phone is being tapped. This information was given to me by a senior BJP minister. I had told him that if someone wants to listen to my conversation, they are welcome. I am a disciple of Balasaheb Thackeray. I don’t do anything in secret,” said Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut tweeted.

आपके फोन टैप हो रहे है..
ये जानकारी मुझे भाजपा एक वरिष्ठ मंत्रीने भी दे रखी थी. मैने कहां था..भाई साहेब..मेरी बात अगर कोई सुनना चाहता है. तो स्वागत है..मै बाळासाहेब ठाकरेजी का चेला हूं. कोई बात या काम छुप छुपकर नही करता..सुनो मेरी बात.. pic.twitter.com/zLrWajLC6d

— Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) January 24, 2020

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However, BJP leader Devendra Fadnavis has denied the claims saying that this is not the culture of Maharashtra and the MVA government is free to conduct an inquiry regarding the same.