Questions continued to be raised on Wednesday over the alleged bugging attempts in the offices of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee and his aides in the North Block with the Opposition parties rejecting the “chewing gum” theory and demanding a thorough probe.
They sought to suggest that the episode could also be reflective of the “trust deficit” within the government.
But the Congress hit back saying the BJP always indulged in levelling “baseless allegations” to divert attention from its internal rebellion. The party said it was not aware of any problems within the government on the issue.
Mr. Mukherjee has sought to downplay the issue, calling the episode “bogus” but did not elaborate.
Officially, the government continued to maintain silence on the issue.
“Big joke”
A day after a row broke out after a national newspaper reported on the alleged bugging, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Sushma Swaraj termed a “big joke” the Intelligence Bureau's “chewing gum theory” and demanded a probe into it.
