Maharashtra Congress chief seeks probe into 'phone-tapping' during previous govt

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole. Pic/Suresh Karkera

Maharashtra Congress chief Nana Patole on Friday sought a high-level probe into the reports of phone-tapping allegedly carried out in 2016-17 during the previous Devendra Fadnavis-led government.

Patole alleged that even his phone was tapped at that time.

"I demand an inquiry into the reports of phone-tapping done in 2016-17 during the Fadnavis government. It was carried out under the pretext of exposing drug trafficking, and phones of political leaders were tapped," he said.

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"My phone number was also tapped by wrongly showing that it belonged to one Amjad Khan...Linking my name to drug trafficking is condemnable. Who allowed it and for what? This is a crime and infringement of an individual's privacy," he added.

Patole claimed that along with his phone, the phones of several important leaders of NCP, BJP, Shiv Sena as well as those of IAS and IPS officers were also tapped.

The Congress leader said the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government should institute a high-level probe and punish the guilty.

Patole had quit the BJP in December 2017 when he was that party's MP. He later returned to the Congress.

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