Opposition stages walkout from Maha Assembly over Rashmi Shukla phone tapping case

MVA leaders protests outside Nagpur Vidhan Bhavan Pic/NCP

Opposition members on Thursday staged a walkout from the Maharashtra Assembly over the alleged phone tapping case against IPS officer Rashmi Shukhla after claiming they were not being allowed to discuss the matter in the House.

As the House proceedings began, Congress member Nana Patole raised the issue saying he was one of the leaders whose phone was allegedly tapped.

Notably, a Pune court has directed local police to investigate further the alleged phone tapping case against Shukla after the police filed a closure report citing lack of evidence.

A case was registered against Shukla at Bundgarden police station in Pune in February 2022 under section 26 of the Indian Telegraph Act when the Shiv Sena-NCP-Congress government was in power in Maharashtra.

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Section 26 of the Telegraph Act deals with "unlawful interception of messages".

Another case was registered against her by the Colaba police in Mumbai.

Patole asked what was the need to file a closure report and sought to target Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, who also holds charge of the state home department.

He claimed the matter is such that infringes on his right as a member of the House.

Patole also sought a discussion over the matter.

Speaker Rahul Narvekar said Patole had given a notice for the discussion after the deadline and he could raise the issue with the Privilege Committee of the House.

But, Leader Of Opposition Ajit Pawar said the probe into the Rashmi Shukla case had been stopped when the phones of several leaders including those from the opposition were tapped, which was in violation of the Indian Telegraph Act.

Narvekar, however, said the Question Hour was in progress while the opposition insisted on a discussion in the phone tapping case.
The opposition members then walked out in protest.

Shukla is now on central deputation as additional director general of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) in Hyderabad.

The previous Shiv Sena-led government had also accused her of tapping the phones of officials and politicians illegally by misleading higher authorities when she headed the state intelligence department.

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