Six years after Rajasthan’s 2020 political crisis, the phone-tapping case involving former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot is back in the spotlight. Gehlot’s ex-Officer on Special Duty, Lokesh Sharma, has urged investigating agencies to question Gehlot, claiming to have submitted evidence linking him to the surveillance operation. Despite providing evidence to Delhi Police, Sharma expressed surprise at the lack of action taken.
Sharma, who was previously arrested in connection with a phone-tapping case, submitted a pen drive, laptop, and mobile phone to Delhi Police in 2024, alleging they contained incriminating evidence. He detailed events from July 16, 2020, during Rajasthan’s political turmoil, claiming Gehlot handed him a pen drive with recorded conversations for media circulation.
The controversy stems from the power struggle within the Congress in 2020 when Deputy CM Sachin Pilot rebelled against Gehlot, leading to a political crisis. Audio clips released by the Gehlot government during the crisis raised questions of phone tapping and political maneuvering. The BJP and Pilot camp questioned the legality of obtaining the recordings, leading to accusations of illegal phone interceptions.
Gehlot’s OSD Sharma’s recent allegations have reignited the phone-tapping issue, with demands for a thorough investigation. Former Deputy CM Sachin Pilot has also called for accountability, emphasizing the seriousness of phone tapping as a crime. The controversy continues to loom over Rajasthan politics, reviving a contentious chapter from the Gehlot-Pilot era.
