The Opposition in both Houses of Parliament created an uproar on Wednesday over the alleged bugging of Surface Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari’s residence. Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad criticised the Congress for raising a “non-issue”.

While Mallikarjun Kharge, leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha, sought a statement from the Prime Minister or at least the Home Minister on the issue, in the Rajya Sabha, his party demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe to ascertain who ordered the alleged bugging. Later, the Congress climbed down from the position and said both the Houses should discuss the issue and the matter should be probed by a judge.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad told reporters the issue is very serious. “We demand a discussion in Parliament followed by an investigation by a judge,” he said.

The Congress reminded the BJP that it had destructed the proceedings of both the Houses after finding a bugging device in then Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee’s cabin. “We had investigated the matter and found that it was installed as part of corporate rivalry. Now let this Government tell the people of the country who implanted such a device in Gadkari's house — corporate houses, other countries or those who are in the Government itself,” a senior Congress leader added.

In the Lok Sabha, Home Minister Rajnath Singh said media reports on a “high-power listening device” being found in Gadkari’s house were “false and baseless”.

“Since there is no basis for the reports, there is no need for any investigation,” he said, adding that Gadkari had himself denied the report.

Kharge linked the issue with the alleged bugging of phones of 29,000 people in Gujarat, as mentioned in an affidavit submitted by the State’s then DIG. “We want to know how many Ministers and MPs are being snooped upon. The PM should give a statement as such incidents have happened in his State earlier,” he added.

The Rajya Sabha saw four adjournments — two each during Question Hour and Zero Hour — in the pre-lunch session, while the Lok Sabh was adjourned once before lunch when BJP members from Karnataka walked up to the well, raising slogans against alleged lathi charge on Marathis in Belgaum.

Modi model Amid slogans of “Modi model nahin chalega (Modi model will not work)” and “We want JPC”, Anand Sharma, Deputy Leader of Congress in the Rajya Sabha, said: “The Government is allowing tapping of telephones on a large scale.

“It is a question of privacy. This is a serious matter...Here we are talking of bugging. Who has allowed it? Our demand is a thorough probe to unearth the truth. It has to be discussed in the House.”

Gadkari, who was present in the Lok Sabha, left soon after Rajnath made his statement.

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