Rahul Gandhi phone tapping claim: BJP calls it baseless, Opposition leaders demand answers

The Rahul Gandhi phone tapping row escalated on Friday 13 November after the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had his phone tapped, and the BJP dismissed the claim as baseless. Congress leaders backed Gandhi and demanded an explanation from the government, ANI reported, while BJP leaders said the allegation had no evidence behind it.

What Rahul Gandhi said about the phone tapping

In a video shared by the Congress on X, Gandhi claimed his mobile phone was tapped and accused the Prime Minister of acting under the influence of foreign powers, The Daily Jagran reported. “The Prime Minister is aware of this because he has my phone tapped,” Gandhi said.

He also renewed his challenge for a one-on-one debate. “The day he agrees to a face-to-face debate, everyone will learn who is under the control of foreign powers, who is anti-national, and how long they have been involved in anti-national activities,” Gandhi said. The Daily Jagran reported that he maintained the evidence backing his claims was on his phone.

How the BJP responded to the phone tapping claim

The BJP hit out at Gandhi on Friday and dismissed the charge as baseless, IANS reported. BJP leaders accused him of making repeated unsubstantiated allegations to remain in the news, and some questioned why he had not submitted his phone for examination. Minister of State B.L. Verma told IANS that the allegations Gandhi made in the past and present had no evidence to support them.

BJP national spokesperson R.P. Singh said: “If his phone is being tapped, ask him to go to the local police station and submit his phone.” Party leader Nalin Kohli said Gandhi appeared to follow a strategy of making serious allegations without providing evidence and then demanding a debate with the Prime Minister, according to IANS.

Key dates and names

• 13 November 2026: the day Gandhi made the allegation, per The Daily Jagran.
• R.P. Singh: BJP national spokesperson who asked Gandhi to submit his phone to the police, per IANS via The Hans India.
• Priyank Kharge: Karnataka minister who backed Gandhi, per ANI.
• Ajay Rai: Congress leader who said the surveillance had been going on for some time, per ANI.

Opposition leaders back the claim and cite Pegasus

Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge said the Congress leader had not made allegations without documents, and he referred to the Pegasus controversy to question whether surveillance could target opposition leaders, ANI reported. Congress leader Ajay Rai accused the BJP government of monitoring the phones of opposition leaders and said the alleged surveillance had been taking place for some time. Samajwadi Party president Akhilesh Yadav said technological advancements had made phone tapping easier.

The spat comes after the BJP attacked the Congress over its event in Hyderabad, which NIS covered in its report on the Bharat Summit row.

What happens next in the Rahul Gandhi phone tapping row

The reports do not say whether Gandhi or the Congress has made the material on his phone public, or whether any agency has been asked to examine it. Reports reviewed by NIS carried no response from the Prime Minister’s Office. The Rahul Gandhi phone tapping claim has so far drawn only statements from the two parties, according to those reports. The Congress wants an explanation from the government, and the BJP wants Gandhi to hand his phone to the police. More national coverage is on our India page.