Vaghela to take up phone tapping case with MHA

Reacting to the revelation that his phones were tapped during and after the Gujarat riots, Union Textile Minister and Congress leader Shanke...

Reacting to the revelation that his phones were tapped during and after the Gujarat riots, Union Textile Minister and Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela today said he would take up the matter with the Union Home Ministry.

The then state intelligence chief Sreekumar had allegedly been instructed by Chief Minister Narendra Modi to tap the phones of BJP leader, the late Haren Pandya, and Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela.

‘‘This is a violation of the Constitution. An official of the government is stating this and has to be credible. What the

Modi government asked the officials to do is most unconstitutional and against the principles of an elected government,’’ he said.

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Vaghela, however, stopped short of demanding the dismissal of the Modi government. Saying he ‘‘would take up the matter soon with the Union Home Minister’’, Vaghela added that the revelation has ‘‘worried’’ him about the state of affairs in the state.

‘‘If this is the way the official machinery was being used against leaders, the plight of the common man would be worse,’’ he added. ‘‘This is a gross violation of the fundamental rights and the government owes an explanation.’’