by ANURADHA RAMAN and R. K. MISRA
Audio tapes reveal the illegal surveillance of a young woman from Bangalore in 2009 ordered by Amit Shah for his “Saheb”. The police followed her inside malls, restaurants, gyms, even when she visited relatives, went to see her mother at a hospital, took a flight or checked into a hotel.
The BJP gets out girl’s father to try to diffuse Modi surveillance scandal’. But the fat’s in the fire.
More Questions Than Answers
If Gujarat is safe for women, what specific threat was the girl facing for her father to request the CM for help?
Was a criminal complaint or FIR registered in any police station against those who allegedly posed the threat?
Is it normal for an IAS officer to be kept under watch under the oral orders of the state’s home minister?
Do records show the home secretary initiating the “surveillance”, as stipulated by Sec 5 of Telegraph Rules?
Isn’t the tone of the transcripts indicative of “stalking” more than surveillance for security reasons?
Did the BJP score a self-goal by making public the father’s letter, putting the identity of ‘Saheb’ beyond doubt?
Why haven’t Modi and Amit Shah not spoken up yet on the issue, leaving it all to the party’s lawyer-spokesmen?
Did the BJP procure the father’s request to keep the girl under watch before the tapes became public? Why?
Does the probe into tapping become redundant because the complainant does not wish to pursue the case?
Outlook for more