Allegations of phone tapping against Ashok Gehlot floats ahead of Lok Sabha polls

PTC News Desk: Amidst the political fervor preceding the upcoming polls, accusations of phone tapping resurface against Ashok Gehlot, former Chief Minister of Rajasthan. His former aide, Lokesh Sharma, has once again thrust this issue into the limelight, alongside allegations regarding the REET exam paper leak.

Sharma’s revelations come just a day prior to the second phase of the Lok Sabha election, alleging that Gehlot had provided him with a pen drive containing intercepted audio clips, later leaked to the media. While unsure of their legality, Sharma claimed these clips involved phone conversations.

The saga dates back to July 2020, amidst Gehlot’s government turmoil due to Sachin Pilot’s rebellion and the defection of 19 MLAs. During this period, audio recordings, purportedly featuring rebel MLAs like Vishwendra Singh and Bhanwar Lal Sharma, surfaced, hinting at BJP involvement in destabilising Gehlot’s administration.

A notable conversation allegedly involved Bhanwar Lal and Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, further fueling political tensions. Shekhawat lodged a police complaint against Lokesh Sharma for the leaked conversation and pursued defamation charges against Gehlot.

The Delhi Police’s Crime Branch is probing the phone tapping allegations, having previously summoned Lokesh Sharma for interrogation. He currently enjoys bail, mandated by the Delhi High Court, which prohibits coercive measures against him.

Sharma also accuses Gehlot of shielding his associates during the 2022 REET paper leak controversy, a matter that stirred political debates during the previous year’s state elections.

While Sharma has been vocal on social media against Gehlot, his recent disclosures, strategically timed before voting in Rajasthan, particularly in Gehlot’s stronghold of Jodhpur, mark a significant escalation. Gehlot, amidst his campaign trail in Jodhpur, has refrained from commenting on these accusations.