Gujarat Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief spokesperson Anil Patel on Saturday, 14 November challenged Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to lodge a formal police complaint or write to the Lok Sabha Speaker over his allegation that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was tapping his phone — invoking the 2021 Pegasus controversy to argue that Gandhi had failed to substantiate similar claims in the past.

The Challenge and What Prompted It

Patel's remarks came in direct response to Gandhi's claim, made during an interactive session on Instagram on Friday, that evidence supporting his allegations was stored on his phone, which he alleged was being monitored by PM Modi. Gandhi also reiterated his demand for a one-on-one public debate with the Prime Minister, saying such a confrontation would settle questions about who was acting under foreign influence and who was anti-national.

Patel said the Leader of the Opposition had formal avenues available to him. 'If an investigation is taking place, he is officially the Leader of the Opposition. He can submit an application, file a complaint with the police or write to the Lok Sabha Speaker. But he will do none of these things,' Patel said.

The Pegasus Parallel

Patel drew a direct comparison to the Pegasus row of July 2021, when an international media investigation reported that phone numbers linked to several Indian politicians, journalists and activists appeared in a leaked database of potential surveillance targets. Notably, the presence of a number on that list did not by itself confirm that the device had been infected with the spyware.

'Earlier also, there was an issue involving Pegasus. At that time, when the investigating authority told him to hand over his mobile phone for examination, he did not give it,' Patel said. The Supreme Court had subsequently appointed an independent technical committee, which examined 29 mobile phones. In August 2022, the court said the committee found no conclusive evidence of Pegasus spyware on any of the devices examined.

BJP Widens the Attack: SIR and Supreme Court

Patel also referred to Gandhi's earlier visit to President Droupadi Murmu over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, claiming that Gandhi had not subsequently submitted the evidence he said he possessed. He further alleged that Gandhi's lawyers had not placed any supporting proof before the Supreme Court in that matter.

'He went to the President over the SIR issue, but even today he has not submitted the evidence he claims to have. The case is also being heard in the Supreme Court, but his lawyers have not placed any proof before the court,' Patel said. He described Gandhi's pattern of conduct as making 'fabricated stories' every ten to fifteen days without pursuing official remedies.

Congress Hits Back: Modi's Gujarat Record Cited

Congress leader B K Hariprasad, speaking in Bengaluru on Saturday, backed Gandhi's phone-tapping allegation and argued that surveillance and snooping were not new under PM Modi, pointing to a controversy involving alleged surveillance of a woman during Modi's tenure as Gujarat Chief Minister. Hariprasad claimed that a Special Task Force (STF) had also been formed in connection with that matter, and alleged that the Prime Minister's reluctance to accept Gandhi's debate challenge was itself linked to the phone-tapping charge.

Patel rejected Hariprasad's allegations as unsubstantiated, insisting that those who believe wrongdoing has occurred should file official complaints rather than make public statements. 'There is no need to make baseless statements. If they believe something has happened, they can officially file a complaint. I can assure you that they will never do so,' Patel said.

What This Exchange Signals

This is the latest in a series of sharp political exchanges between the ruling BJP and the Indian National Congress (INC) since Gandhi assumed the role of Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha after the 2024 general election. The BJP has consistently demanded that Gandhi convert his public allegations into formal legal or parliamentary complaints, while Congress has framed its accusations as politically legitimate challenges to accountability. The debate-challenge dimension adds a new layer, with both sides now publicly disputing not just the allegations but the arena in which they should be tested. How Gandhi responds — whether through official channels or continued public platforms — is likely to define the next phase of this political confrontation.