Zee Media Bureau
New Delhi: Amidst hullabaloo over reports claiming recovery of high power listening devices at his residence, Union Minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday reiterated that the report was “totally baseless and false”.
Earlier, reports claimed that bugging devices were found at Gadkari`s Delhi residence. Later, reports suggested they were found at his Mumbai`s residence.
Talking to reporters outside Parliament House, the former BJP president said: “First they (media) said Mumbai home, then Delhi home. Reports are totally false.”
When asked about Subramanian Swamy`s allegation that the bugging took place around October last year "when the UPA was in power”, Gadkari refused to make any comment and told reporters to ask the BJP leader only about it.
In a statement in the Rajya Sabha, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh said there is "no truth" in reports of bugging at Gadkari`s residence.
He added: "Even the minister, at whose residence it was said that high power listening devices were installed, has himself called the reports as completely baseless...and there have been no complaints by the minister or anyone else in this regard."
Gadkari has been issuing denial over the issue since the reports came in media.
Congress leaders, including former prime minister Manmohan Singh, said there should be a probe in the case.
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy questioned if the former Congress-led United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government was responsible for the bugging.
He said the bugging took place around October last year "when the UPA was in power, the NSA (America`s National Security Agency) has specifically targeted the BJP and Gadkari was a very important person. He had the confidence of the RSS".
(With IANS inputs)
