In a significant development that could further escalate the political turmoil in Rajasthan, Lokesh Sharma, a former Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, has levelled serious allegations against Gehlot. Sharma claims that Gehlot was responsible for phone tapping during the 2020 political crisis in the state. He has demanded that Gehlot be interrogated regarding this matter.
Sharma’s accusations stem from his recent questioning by the Delhi Police Crime Branch in connection with a phone-tapping case filed based on a complaint by Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. In a detailed written statement, Sharma revealed that he received a pen drive containing call recordings on July 16, 2020. He claims that Gehlot himself gave him the pen drive and instructed him to circulate the recordings to the media.
This statement marks a significant shift from Sharma’s earlier stance. Previously, he had publicly alleged that the audio clip of a purported conversation between Shekhawat and some Congress leaders regarding the alleged attempt to topple the then Congress government in Rajasthan in 2020 was given to him by Gehlot. In his written statement, Sharma stated that he circulated the recordings as directed by Gehlot after transferring them from the pen drive to his laptop and then to his phone.
Sharma, however, asserts that he was not involved in the actual call interceptions. He claims these were done on Gehlot’s orders and that the then Chief Secretary, DGP, Home Secretary, and Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister were all aware of the phone tapping activities. He further alleges that the phones of several Congress MLAs, from both factions led by Ashok Gehlot and Sachin Pilot, were intercepted during the political crisis. Sharma says he regularly received transcripts of these intercepted calls.
This accusation has the potential to seriously damage Gehlot’s political standing and could lead to further investigations and legal proceedings. The phone-tapping controversy erupted in July 2020 amidst a political crisis in Rajasthan when the Congress was in power. The development could have significant implications for the state’s political landscape and the future of the Congress party.
