New Delhi:
The controversy over why a young woman was spied upon by some of Gujarat's most senior police officers is defunct, the BJP claimed on Wednesday. As supporting evidence, it referred to a letter from the woman's father, released on Tuesday night, which says she wants her privacy to be respected and does not want the matter investigated by the National Commission for Women.
Prakash Javadekar, party spokesperson, accepted that the woman was monitored, but stressed, "It wasn't snooping but an elaborate protection arrangement done with the consent of the family and even the targeted girl." He said it's essential to respect the wishes of the woman and her family and end all talk of enquiry.
Mamta Sharma, who heads the National Commission for Women or NCW, said on Wednesday that plans for an enquiry had been abandoned, based on the letter sent by the woman's father.
However, another member from the panel, Nirmala Sawant, later told NDTV, "Mamta Sharma genuinely wants to help the woman... at the same time, she wants to know about the authenticity of the letter."
The Congress has alleged that the illegal surveillance was commissioned in 2009 by the BJP's prime ministerial candidate,
Narendra Modi, and that his close aide and then Home Minister
Amit Shah assigned top policemen and even members of the anti-terror squad to stalking the woman.
The party wants a Supreme Court judge to investigate the charges. "Suppose there is a kidnapping and a heinous crime takes place and the father says don't lodge a complaint... should the government sit back?" asked union minister Kapil Sibal.
In his letter, the woman's father said that he knows Mr Modi well and sought his assistance for his daughter's security, but did not specify what help he requested or received. He said the intervention was "in her own interest, safety and security, and there has been no encroachment on her privacy as sought to be made out."