Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Friday sharpened his running confrontation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, alleging that the Prime Minister is tapping his phone and claiming that the device holds proof of every allegation he has made against him. The charge came during an interactive Ask Me session on Instagram, where Gandhi also repeated his demand for a one-on-one public debate with Modi, a challenge he has now issued seven times in 12 days.
Holding up his phone during the session, Gandhi told supporters that the evidence was sitting in his hand. “The proof is in this phone, and the PM knows it since he taps my phone,” he said. He did not, however, present any verifiable technical evidence during the interaction to support the surveillance claim, as several outlets noted.
What Rahul Gandhi said
Gandhi said the phone contained proof of all his allegations against the Prime Minister, including claims about foreign influence and questions over national loyalties. “There is evidence of all my allegations in my phone, which the Prime Minister is tapping,” he said, adding that a direct debate would settle the question of who was controlled by foreign powers and who was anti-national.
He went further, claiming that a one-on-one debate would end Modi’s political career. “I guarantee that the prime minister will not remain the PM after a one-on-one debate with me,” Gandhi said. He also named possible judges for the proposed face-off, saying he had no objection if Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani or Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat acted as judge.
The debate dare, seven times in 12 days
Friday’s remarks marked the seventh time in 12 days that Gandhi publicly challenged Modi to a debate, according to NDTV and The Statesman. The challenge began earlier this month, when Gandhi said on November 6 that he was willing to debate the Prime Minister, and it has been repeated almost daily since, including an appeal to Home Minister Amit Shah earlier this week to convince Modi to accept.
Gandhi has been specific about the format he wants. “I want a one-on-one debate. I don’t want a debate entailing long speeches,” he said on Friday. “I want that Narendra Modi makes allegations against me and I do the same to him. He can come; there will be a table, on one side there will be Narendra Modi ji and on the other side, it will be me.”
Asked why he preferred a public debate when the BJP has said the exchange could take place in Parliament, Gandhi said he was not allowed to speak in the House and that his microphone had even been switched off. It is a complaint opposition leaders have raised before, and one the government has rejected in the past.
BJP hits back
The BJP responded sharply on Friday, dismissing the allegation and the debate dare. Party leaders called Gandhi a “habitual liar” and described his approach as “hit-and-run politics”, arguing that he makes sweeping charges in public and on social media instead of raising them through parliamentary debate. The Centre has rejected Gandhi’s surveillance claims in the past, and the Prime Minister’s office has not responded to the latest charge.
The Pegasus shadow
Friday’s claim revives a controversy that has followed Gandhi for years. In 2021, he alleged that his phones and those of several other politicians were tapped using Pegasus spyware, allowing central agencies to monitor their communications. The Centre rejected those allegations at the time.
In 2022, a Supreme Court-appointed technical committee reported finding malware on five of the 29 phones it examined, but it could not establish that the malware was Pegasus spyware. The finding left the core question unresolved. Jan Suraaj founder Prashant Kishor said on Friday that phone tapping was a reality in India, without endorsing Gandhi’s specific claim.
What happens next
For now, the ball is in the government’s court, and there is no sign the Prime Minister will accept a public debate. The BJP has consistently said Parliament is the proper forum, while Gandhi insists a direct face-off is the only way to settle the charges. With the winter session approaching, the exchange is likely to continue.
Whether the charge gains traction will depend on whether Gandhi produces anything beyond the claim itself. Until then, it remains an allegation, forcefully made and firmly denied, and now part of a debate dare that shows no sign of ending.
FAQs
What did Rahul Gandhi allege on Friday?
During an Instagram Ask Me session on November 13, Gandhi alleged PM Modi was tapping his phone and said it held proof of all his allegations.
Did he present any evidence?
No. He held up his phone during the session but did not present any verifiable technical evidence to support the tapping claim, as reported by NDTV and The Statesman.
How many times has he challenged PM Modi to a debate?
Friday’s challenge was the seventh time in 12 days that Gandhi publicly dared Modi to a one-on-one debate.
Who did he suggest as judges for the debate?
Gandhi said he had no objection if Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani or RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat acted as judge.
Has he made phone-tapping claims before?
Yes. In 2021, he alleged his phones were tapped using Pegasus spyware. A Supreme Court-appointed committee in 2022 found malware on five of 29 phones examined but could not establish it was Pegasus.
