New Delhi: Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of tapping his phone, claiming that he possesses evidence of the alleged surveillance but stopping short of presenting any verifiable technical proof.
Gandhi made the remarks during an interactive ‘Ask Me’ session on Instagram, where he responded to questions from supporters and once again challenged the prime minister to a one-on-one public debate on several political and national issues.
Holding up his mobile phone during the interaction, Gandhi said, “The proof is in this phone, and the PM knows it since he taps my phone.”
However, he did not share any technical evidence during the session to substantiate his allegation.
The Congress leader also reiterated his demand for a direct debate with Modi, arguing that such an interaction would settle questions surrounding foreign influence and allegations of anti-national activities.
Friday’s remarks marked the seventh time in 12 days that Gandhi had publicly challenged the prime minister to a one-on-one debate. He has repeatedly called for an open discussion on electoral processes, foreign interference and national security.
Gandhi has previously accused the government of using the Pegasus spyware to monitor the phones of opposition leaders and other political figures.
In 2023, he had claimed that his phone was infected with Pegasus and alleged that several other politicians were also being targeted.
“I myself had Pegasus on my phone. Large number of politicians have Pegasus on their phones. I’ve been called by Intelligence officers who say please be careful of what you say on your phone as we are recording the stuff,” he had said at the time.
The Centre had rejected the allegations.
Meanwhile, the BJP has repeatedly dismissed Gandhi’s calls for a direct debate, with party leaders questioning his approach and accusing him of avoiding substantive discussions in Parliament.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had earlier questioned the need for Gandhi to ask the prime minister to select a venue for a debate, arguing that Parliament itself provided an appropriate forum to raise and discuss issues of national importance.
