People's Democracy

Illegal Surveillance in Gujarat

The Polit Bureau of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) issued the following statement on November 16, 2013.

THE release of tape recorded conversations between top Narendra Modi aide and BJP leader, Amit Shah, and a senior police officer who was then superintendent of the Gujarat anti-terrorist squad regarding the illegal surveillance mounted against a young woman on the orders of “saheb” raises serious questions once again about the state of civil liberties in Gujarat.

To use the powers of the state and further to use the anti-terrorist squad to snoop on the private life of a young woman, to follow her every movement, to snoop also on her other family members and friends, shows the utterly unethical and illegal practices and degeneration of the minimum norms of democratic governance under Modi.

The Gujarat government must take immediate action against Shah and the police officers for violating the Indian Telegraph Act. They also have to be prosecuted for the crime of stalking under the recently amended provisions of the IPC related to crimes against women.

However, it is well known that for Amit Shah there is only one Saheb and that is Modi. What was Modi’s interest in the matter? In a case involving the chief minister, it would be appropriate for a court investigation into Modi’s involvement and, if found to be involved, he must be prosecuted.