Latest salvo from 7-time debate dare.
On Friday Nov 13, Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, in an 'Ask Me Anything' Instagram session posted by Congress on X, alleged active surveillance: “The Prime Minister is aware of this because he has my phone tapped.”
Holding up his phone, he said: “The proof is in this phone, and the PM knows it since he taps my phone. The day he agrees to a face-to-face debate, everyone will learn who is under control of foreign powers, who is anti-national, and how long they have been involved in anti-national activities.”
He claimed direct debate would end Modi's political career: “Mark my words, PM's political career will be over if he comes and debates with me. He keeps calling me anti-national. I want to show nation exactly who is anti-national, exactly who's controlled by whom and since when.”
Rahul also shared second video mocking PM's reliance on teleprompter: “Bring teleprompter to debate with me too, and seat judge of your choice.”
Why now? Rahul has challenged Modi for open debate 7 times in 12 days, after Bihar polls where NDA swept 202 seats. He says in Parliament his mic gets switched off, so outside debate needed. Congress virtual strategy meet Friday under Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul discussed future grassroots movement and repeated debate call.
Context: Not first phone tapping claim. In 2021 Pegasus list, Rahul's two numbers appeared. In 2023 he said, "I myself had Pegasus on my phone. Large number of politicians have Pegasus. Intelligence officers say please be careful what you say on phone as we are recording." Supreme Court technical committee in 2022 found malware on 5 of 29 examined phones but could not confirm Pegasus, no conclusive evidence.
Support poured from INDIA bloc:
- SP chief Akhilesh Yadav: phones can't be trusted in AI age, recalled deceased leader who said his phone tapped, backed 1.27 crore voter deletion claim alongside.
- Shiv Sena UBT's Sanjay Raut: leaders globally who resort to surveillance fall; claimed surveillance causes election defeats.
- Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor Saturday backed: “Phones do get tapped. This has been going on. I came to learn about my own phone being tapped when my name figured among Pegasus targets.”
BJP hit back sharply. Kerala BJP chief Rajeev Chandrasekhar, ex-Minister IT: "Rahul Gandhi must get his head examined. Nobody is bothered tapping his phone. Nobody interested." Party earlier rejected debate demand, said debate happens in Parliament.
No verifiable technical evidence presented in Instagram video to substantiate tapping claim, per NDTV.
Rahul's charge revives surveillance as opposition plank before UP 2027 — now with personal device as proof box.
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