A routine post-election review meeting of the Gujarat Congress in Mehsana erupted into a major political controversy after two individuals, alleged by party leaders to be Intelligence Bureau (IB) personnel, were caught filming proceedings inside a closed-door gathering.
The incident occurred during a high-level meeting convened at the Mehsana District Congress office to assess the party's disappointing performance in the recent North Gujarat local body elections. Several senior Congress leaders were present, including Gujarat Congress in-charge Mukul Wasnik, state president Amit Chavda, North Gujarat in-charge Subhashini Yadav, former state president Jagdish Thakor and Leader of Opposition Tushar Chaudhary.
According to Congress leaders, journalists were briefly allowed inside the venue to capture visuals before the meeting began. During this period, two individuals allegedly entered the hall and began recording videos of the proceedings. Party members later grew suspicious of their presence and questioned them.
Congress leaders claim that upon checking the men's mobile phones, they discovered footage recorded from inside the meeting. The discovery triggered a heated confrontation, with senior leaders demanding that the videos be deleted immediately.
Witnesses said Amit Chavda questioned the individuals about how they had gained access to the meeting and who had authorized them to record internal discussions. As the men repeatedly apologized, senior leaders continued to press them for answers and insisted that the footage be erased.
The situation escalated further when Jagdish Thakor allegedly accused the individuals of acting on behalf of the ruling establishment.
According to those present, the two men eventually deleted the footage and were escorted out of the premises by Congress workers.
The controversy deepened later when Mehsana District Congress President Baldevji Thakor alleged that an examination of the officials' phones revealed not only videos of the Congress meeting but also what he described as objectionable and obscene content. The claim, however, has not been independently verified.
Seizing on the incident, the Congress launched a broader attack on the BJP-led government, alleging misuse of state machinery to monitor opposition activities. Party leaders described the episode as an intrusion into a private organizational meeting and raised concerns over what they termed political surveillance.
The alleged presence of intelligence personnel at an internal party review session has since sparked fresh political debate in Gujarat, with Congress leaders demanding accountability and clarification over the circumstances under which the individuals entered the meeting.
No official statement had been issued by the Intelligence Bureau or the state government regarding the allegations at the time of reporting.