Rahul Gandhi Accuses Narendra Modi of Phone Tapping, Claims Evidence Is Stored on His Mobile Phone
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi has accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of tapping his phone, triggering fresh political tensions between the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Gandhi made the allegation on Friday, November 13, 2026, during an interactive question-and-answer session on Instagram.
Holding up his mobile phone during the online interaction, Gandhi claimed that it contained evidence supporting his allegations against the Prime Minister. He said that Modi was aware of the information because his phone was allegedly being monitored.
“The proof of all my allegations is in my phone, which is tapped by the Prime Minister,” Gandhi said during the interaction.
Gandhi also renewed his challenge to Modi for a direct, one-on-one public debate. He argued that such a discussion would allow both leaders to put forward their allegations and explain their positions before the country.
The Congress leader said the proposed debate should address several issues, including alleged foreign influence over India’s political system, electoral irregularities, national security, China, and other matters of public importance.
He also questioned why the Prime Minister had not accepted his repeated debate challenge. Gandhi suggested that the discussion could take place on any platform and even proposed that Gautam Adani or Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat could act as a judge during the debate.
Responding to questions about why he preferred a public debate outside Parliament, Gandhi alleged that he was not being allowed to speak freely in the Lok Sabha. He referred to previous parliamentary discussions on farm laws, alleged vote irregularities, the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and China, claiming that he had not received adequate opportunities to raise these issues.
The phone-tapping allegation also brings back memories of the controversy surrounding Pegasus spyware. In 2023, Gandhi had claimed that Pegasus surveillance software had been installed on his phone and those of several other political leaders. He had also referred to warnings allegedly received from intelligence officials about monitoring of telephone conversations. The government had rejected the allegations.
However, Gandhi did not present independently verifiable technical evidence to establish his latest phone-tapping allegation during the Instagram interaction. His claim that the Prime Minister was personally responsible for the alleged surveillance remains an allegation and has not been independently established.
The BJP has previously dismissed Gandhi’s repeated challenges for a direct debate, arguing that Parliament is the appropriate constitutional forum for discussing national issues. Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has also questioned why Gandhi was insisting on a separate debate when parliamentary proceedings already provide an opportunity for political discussions.
The latest confrontation adds another chapter to the continuing political exchanges between the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress. Gandhi has maintained that a direct debate with Modi would bring several disputed political questions before the public, while the BJP has continued to insist that such matters should be discussed through established parliamentary procedures.
