Gorakhpur, Nov 14 (IANS) Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Ravi Kishan on Saturday took a jibe at the Leader of Opposition (LoP) in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's phone tapping allegations, saying that the latter's phone is "being tapped to know how he is going to make gold out of potatoes".
This comes a day after Rahul Gandhi reiterated his one-on-one debate challenge to Prime Minister Narendra Modi while alleging that his phone is being tapped on the latter's directions.
Speaking to IANS, Ravi Kishan said: "We were tapping his mobile phone because we really needed to know how he is going to make gold out of potatoes. Otherwise, the entire formula of doing so would have stayed with Rahul Gandhi."
"We also have farms and we also need to make gold from potatoes. So that is why his phone is being tapped, as he thinks, because the formula of making gold from potatoes is there in his phone, " the BJP MP said while taking a veiled swipe at the LoP.
Ravi Kishan, also the Gorakhpur MP, was referring to a 2017 remark made by Rahul Gandhi during a public address in Gujarat.
Meanwhile, BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi also lashed out at the LoP over his allegations, referring to the Congress and the Gandhi family as "James Bond of espionage".
"For a party and a family that has been the 'James Bond' of espionage, they will always link everything to spying. This is the same party and family that, 12 years ago when they were in power, had their own Home Minister and Finance Minister placed under surveillance; and when they were caught, they claimed it was merely a piece of 'chewing gum' that had gotten stuck. They truly are the 'James Bonds' of spying, " he remarked while speaking to IANS.
However, Congress spokesperson Surendra Rajput said: "The Bharatiya Janata Party should clearly state whether phone tapping is taking place or not. If Rahul Gandhi is making false statements, an investigation should be conducted against him. A sitting Supreme Court judge should investigate the matter to establish the truth."
"The investigation should determine whether the BJP government purchased Pegasus and whether opposition leaders' phones are being tapped, as alleged by Rahul Gandhi, " he told IANS.