Journalism of Courage
The Opposition staged a walkout from the Maharashtra Assembly Thursday alleging that Speaker Rahul Narvekar was not allowing its leaders to speak on the phone-tapping case against police officer Rashmi Shukla.
Nearly two-and-a-half months after Pune city police filed a closure report in the phone-tapping case against Shukla, a court in Pune on Wednesday directed police to further investigate the matter on certain points.
Speaking to reporters in Nagpur, where the winter session of the Assembly is being held, Opposition leader Ajit Pawar of Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) said the Opposition had raised the issue of the court rejecting the closure report filed by the Pune police in the case against Shukla for allegedly ordering illegal phone tapping of political leaders between March 2016 and July 2018.
“The case involves a grave violation of the privacy of political leaders, not only of the Opposition parties but of the BJP as well. Hence, we demanded a discussion under Rule 57 of the house to discuss this issue. But our leaders were not allowed to speak and, hence, we have staged a walkout,” Pawar told reporters.
Earlier, speaking in the House, Pawar said since the court has “rejected the closure report”, the issue should be investigated thoroughly. “This House should know on whose order Rashmi Shukla was tapping phones. Who is the mastermind behind this episode? Who is trying to save her?” Pawar asked.
“It appears that the speaker is shielding the government from discussing,” said Pawar, adding that the Opposition was boycotting the proceedings.
Congress MLA Nana Patole raised the issue of Shukla for discussion in the House. The party said it may bring a no-confidence motion against Narvekar and demanded the resignation of Home Minister Devendra Fadnavis.
Outside the Assembly, Pawar said Shukla was accused of tapping the phone of Patole, former minister Bachchu Kadu, former MP Sanjay Kakde, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut and MLC Eknath Khadse. “The MVA government had formed a committee to probe and based on its report an FIR was filed against her. Even a chargesheet was filed and this government is disallowing to run a case against her. In the Pune case, the government is filing a closure report. Why is this government trying to safeguard Shukla?” asked Pawar.
“Phone tapping is a serious matter and even the court is disallowing the closure report. Despite this, the government is trying to protect Shukla. The home minister (Fadnavis) was the chief minister when the phone-tapping incident took place and therefore he must resign,” said Patole.
Shukla has been accused of illegally tapping the phones of some leading political leaders in Maharashtra when she was the Pune city police commissioner. She is currently on central deputation with the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).
When allegations against Shukla were raised, a three-member committee, headed by then DGP Sanjay Pandey, was formed following then home minister Dilip Walse-Patil’s orders to investigate the matter. The other members of the committee were the commissioner of the State Intelligence Department (SID) and the additional commissioner of the special branch.
Based on the findings of the inquiry, assistant police inspector Vaishali Chandgude lodged the First Information Report (FIR) against Shukla at the Bundgarden police station in Pune on February 25 this year. In October, the Pune city police filed a closure report (C-summary) in this case.
Police sources confirmed that the court asked the police to investigate the case further on certain aspects and did not accept the closure report.
