Inquiries made by policemen recently at Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi’s residence snowballed into a political controversy, with the party accusing the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of spying on its leader, but the entire episode later turned to be an embarrassment for the Delhi Police.
Delhi Police chief B.S. Bassi explained — after the Congress sought an answer from Prime Minister Narendra Modi — that the information sought by the personnel, such as Mr. Gandhi’s hair and eye colour, were part of a routine profiling of all residents in security sensitive areas and far from being mala fide.
“Not just Mr. Gandhi, we make such routine visits to the addresses of other VIPs including the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and other protectees ” said Mr. Bassi. Soon after, senior Delhi Police officials said they will omit questions and information objected to by the Congress over the coming days.
Earlier, the Congress alleged the episode was a case of political espionage by the Delhi Police “under pressure from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO)” and even suggested that Mr Modi had similar things while he was Gujarat Chief Minister. “This kind of snooping, surveillance and intrusion in a political opponent’s life may be the Gujarat model but it’s not the Indian model,” said Abhishek Singhvi of the Congress.
The party was not satisfied with Mr Bassi’s clarification either. “Why should the Delhi Police be snooping around the residence of a person who is an SPG protectee?” asked Randeen Surjewala, party communication department in-charge. Congress insiders also pointed out that the said form had queries on the identities and addresses of Mr. Gandhi’s close aides and associates.
The BJP responded saying it was a routine process which “even the Prime Minister had gone through”. “Our president Amit Shah, Home Minister Rajnath Singh and senior leaders like Veerappa Moily are also among those on the Delhi Police database,” said BJP leader Sudanshu Trivedi. Another BJP leader, Sambit Patra, said the Congress was “politicising the matter since it is issue-less.”
At the centre of the controversy is what police sources described as “a basic proforma for the maintenance of a database of VIPs”. In fact, a senior officer said it was “almost identical” to the paper work that senior citizens, domestic help and “those belonging to vulnerable groups” filled.
Highly-placed police sources told The Hindu that Mr. Gandhi had “filled in a similar proforma earlier”. Police sources said the episode began with a “lower functionary” from the Tughlak Road police station “carrying out orders to update records”. The official concerned — a local beat constable — reached Mr. Gandhi’s residence at Central Delhi’s Tughlak Road on Thursday.
This was followed up by an Assistant Sub Inspector.
