The channel India TV said the politicians whose phones were tapped also included senior BJP leader Sumitra Mahajan, leader of the opposition Jamuna Devi, Congress leader Manak Agarwal, Agriculture Minister Chandrabhan Singh of BJP, Uma loyalist and former union minister Prahlad Patel and Gauri Shankar Shewaj and some other BJP leaders.
The tapping was done by the Special Task Force of state police between October and December 2005 when Bharti had raised a banner of revolt against Gaur's leadership in a bid to stage a comeback as Chief Minister, the news channel said.
Reacting to the alleged phone-tapping, Bharti said, "It is against principles of democracy, violative of rules and an act of cowardice."
"People who have done this are cowards. While grassroots workers are working hard, the leaders are involved in a conspiracy. It (BJP) has become a party of conspirators", she said. "Advaniji (L K Advani) and Vajpayeeji (Atal Bihari Vajpayee) should be told that if the party has become so sick that its leaders cannot be trusted, may be the time has come for a split", Bharti said.
