The Congress and the BJP on Friday looked set for yet another fierce showdown after the Government announced its plans to resurrect the probe into snoopgate, allegedly involving Narendra Modi, before the poll process comes to an end on May 16. Terming it as the “arrogance” and “election stunt” of an outgoing Government which is “ill advised”, the BJP said it would complain about it to the EC and indicated it would review the decision if it came to power.
“The Cabinet had taken the decision to appoint a Commission of Enquiry to probe the incident of snooping on a woman in Gujarat. We will soon appoint the judge before May 16,” Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde told reporters in Shimla. In New Delhi, law Minister Kapil Sibal too reiterated it.
Both the Union Ministers asserted that the appointment of a judge in the midst of lok Sabha elections would not amount to violation of the Model Code of Conduct as “the decision had been taken by the Union Cabinet much before the Model Code of Conduct came into force”. The Government’s announcement came just a day after senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley maintained that he would be “surprised” if there is a judge who has “agreed to ‘lend’ himself to the UPA”.
The Cabinet had on December 26 last year decided to set up the Commission of Enquiry but the process got delayed because of its inability to zero in on a judge willing to take up the probe. Jaitley said “the ill-advised” announcement by the UPA dispensation would be reviewed by the next Government. He said bereft of any serious issues, the Congress was “deliberately” and “desperately” diverting the attention of people from the real issues of unemployment, price rise and corruption.
“They are trying desperately to get at least one judge to agree to head the ‘snoopgate’ commission. I doubt very much if any of these moves is likely to succeed. Even if it did, the future Government would be well within its legitimate rights to review such a malafide last-minute decision of the UPA,” Jaitley said here at a Press conference.
“In the last 10 days when the last two phases of polling is left, the Government is appointing Central Information Commissioners, they are trying to complete the lokpal Search Committee and appoint a judge on the snoopgate, where no judge is making himself available for the last five months. There is desperation in UPA to fill these posts and there is an intention as well as attempts in this regard. The BJP will strongly oppose all such moves,” Jaitley said.
Sibal rubbished Jaitley’s argument that “no judge” will “lend” himself to the exercise saying snoopgate judge will be appointed before May 16. He said the BJP is worried as its leaders know the fact that “once the commission is set up there is no saving for Narendra Modi”.
Returning the fire, BJP’s chief media-coordinator Ravi Shankar Prasad said it was nothing but a reflection of arrogance of the UPA Government, which, he claimed, would be voted out of power. “It is not snoopgate, it is stoop-gate. The Home Minister of India is stooping to this level. I can see the desperation. No judge is willing to enquire into it, but they are insisting. We don’t fear from you.”
He wondered if the ruling party was trying to “pressurise” the judiciary in appointing a judge to the snoopgate commission. Prasad said while his party had no fear about the snoopgate probe, “I am concerned about the dignity of the office of a judge”.
BJP leader Subramanian Swamy questioned the very basis of probe saying “no enquiry can be ordered by any judicial authority when there is no complainant”. He alleged that the probe was being done at the behest of top Congress leadership. He said the EC would be approached if the announcement is made during the polls.