BJP Leader Nalin Kohli Slams Rahul Gandhi Over Phone-Tapping Claim

BJP leader Nalin Kohli has criticized Rahul Gandhi for making baseless phone-tapping allegations against PM Modi, urging him to debate in Parliament instead of using a shoot and scoot strategy to remain relevant in the news cycle.

Kasauli (Himachal Pradesh) [India], November 13 (ANI): Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Nalin Kohli on Friday criticised Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi over his phone-tapping allegation, accusing him of making claims without providing evidence and adopting a "shoot and scoot" strategy to remain relevant in the media. Kohli, in a video message, said Gandhi appeared to have adopted a strategy of making allegations without substantiating them and subsequently demanding a debate with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"It seems that Mr Rahul Gandhi is obsessed with this new strategy of his. Make a false, blatant, and rather outrageous allegation, something like my phone is being tapped, provide no evidence, and then sit back and say I need to have a debate with the honourable Prime Minister," he said. The BJP leader further challenged Gandhi to attend Parliament, follow its rules and participate in debates on issues of his choice. "It's easy to have a debate if you just attend Parliament. Go ahead, attend Parliament, follow the rules and debate on anything you like. You are the Leader of Opposition," Kohli said. He further alleged that Gandhi and his team had forgotten their parliamentary responsibilities and instead adopted a "shoot and scoot" strategy to remain relevant in the media. His statement came amid Gandhi on Friday levelling serious allegations that he is being surveilled by the central government, alleging that PM Modi is having his phone tapped, while once again calling for the Prime Minister to agree to an open debate against him.

"The Prime Minister is aware of this because he has my phone tapped. The day he agrees to a face-to-face debate, everyone will learn who is under the control of foreign powers, who is anti-national, and how long they have been involved in anti-national activities," Rahul Gandhi said in a video posted by Congress on X. Gandhi has said the proof of PM Modi being under the control of "foreign powers" is already on his phone, and as such, the PM already knows what the proof is. "The moment he (PM Modi) comes for an open debate, everybody will know who is being controlled by foreign powers, is an anti-national, since when, and lots of other details that I know and are on my phone," Gandhi said. (ANI)