FILE photo: Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari

A controversy is swirling around a report that bugging devices were found in Union Minister Nitin Gadkari 's home in Delhi recently.The home ministry today rejected calls for a probe by parties like the Congress and its ally Nationalist Congress party. "Mr Gadkari has himself called it speculation. If so, how can we intervene?" said Kiren Rijiju, Minister of State for Home.On Sunday, Mr Gadkari had tweeted, "Reports in a section of the media about listening devices having been found at my New Delhi residence are highly speculative." But the denial failed to stop political murmurs. (Read) At an Iftar party hosted by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh called for an investigation. (Also Read: Sonia Gandhi Holds Iftar, Shares Table With Sharad Yadav and Lalu) "If ministers' houses are bugged, then it is not a good omen. It should be investigated. How can it happen? It should be explained by the Government in the House," Dr Singh was quoted by the Press Trust of India as saying.A report in The Sunday Guardian - founded by senior journalist MJ Akbar who joined the BJP earlier this year - said "high power listening devices" were "accidentally" found in Mr Gadkari's bedroom at his 13 Teen Murti Lane residence in Delhi. (Read the full report The report referenced the "snooping row" between India and the US, in which the government summoned American diplomats and lodged a strong protest after documents leaked by former security contractor Edward Snowden revealed that the National Security Agency was authorized to spy on the BJP in 2010. (Snooping Row: US Promises to Deal With it Professionally) Sources say nothing was found during a regular sweep of ministers' homes 15 days ago.

"Earlier foreign agencies have been caught doing this. The truth should come out," said Jay Panda of the Biju Janata Dal.Asked to confirm the report, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy also hinted at a US link, saying, "Well Mr. Gadkari is neither ruling it in or ruling it out. There was no doubt that the United States didn't relish the prospect of the BJP coming to power."