'Get your head examined': BJP leaders attack Rahul Gandhi over phone-tapping claim

The BJP on Friday launched a sharp attack on Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi after he accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of getting his phone tapped, dismissing the allegation as baseless and questioning the Congress leader's claims. Leading the BJP's counterattack, Kerala BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar took a swipe at Gandhi, saying that nobody was interested in tapping his phone and advising him to "get his head examined". "Rahul Gandhi, I can only safely say to him, with all respect, must get his head examined. Nobody is bothered tapping his phone.

Nobody is interested in tapping his phone. If anybody is interested, it's to understand why his brain only functions on lies day after day," said Chandrasekhar. The BJP leader's remarks came after Gandhi alleged that the Prime Minister was aware of the information he possessed because his phone was being tapped. During an interactive 'Ask Me' session on Instagram on Friday, November 13, Gandhi held up his mobile phone and claimed that it contained evidence supporting his allegations against the Prime Minister. "The proof is here... it's in this phone... the Prime Minister knows it because he taps my phone,"

Gandhi said. He also reiterated his challenge to Modi for a one-on-one public debate, claiming that such an interaction would expose who was allegedly working under the influence of foreign powers and who was involved in anti-national activities. The Congress leader said he wanted a direct exchange with the Prime Minister rather than lengthy speeches and suggested that both leaders sit across a table and question each other. Gandhi also said he had no objection if industrialist Gautam Adani or Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat were appointed as judges for the proposed debate.

The latest exchange comes amid an ongoing political confrontation between the BJP and Congress over Gandhi's repeated demands for a direct debate with the Prime Minister. Union Home Minister Amit Shah had earlier rejected the Congress leader's preferred format, asking him to raise his allegations and arguments in Parliament instead. He also indicated that the government was prepared to convene a special session if the Congress made a formal request. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had similarly questioned Gandhi's insistence on an alternative platform, pointing out that Parliament already provided an established forum for discussions and urged the Leader of the Opposition to demonstrate "some seriousness and responsibility" in his role.

Meanwhile, Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav extended support to Gandhi over his phone-tapping allegation, raising concerns about the reliability of modern technology in the age of artificial intelligence. "One should not trust the technology of today. In the age of AI, anything is possible," Yadav said, referring to Gandhi's claim.