Tony Blairs 2001 Delhi bugging scare and the secret Anglo-Indian spy alliance - The Tribune

Tony Blair's 2001 Delhi Bugging Incident and Anglo-Indian Spy Relations

During Tony Blair's 2001 visit to India as Prime Minister, two listening devices were reportedly found in his New Delhi hotel suite. British security personnel swept the room and removed the bugs before the discovery became public.

To avoid diplomatic tension, Blair discreetly moved to the room of a junior delegation member and continued his visit without disruption.

Intelligence Rivalry Despite Friendly Relations

Dr. Paul McGarr from King’s College London notes the incident, initially mentioned in Alastair Campbell’s memoirs, was later confirmed by former British intelligence and security officials. Although no official culprit was named, suspicion fell on RAW, India’s intelligence agency.

“A finger of suspicion was pointed at RAW.”

This event highlighted how intelligence competition persists even between allied nations.

Historical Cooperation Between British and Indian Intelligence

Despite such rivalries, a deeper history of cooperation exists. Decades earlier, London and Delhi maintained covert understandings that linked their intelligence services well beyond the era of British colonial rule.

“Half a century earlier, London and Delhi were bound together by a series of quiet understandings that linked the two intelligence services long after the formal empire had gone.”

Summary

The 2001 bugging scare revealed ongoing intelligence tensions between Britain and India, contrasting with their historically close espionage collaboration post-independence.

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The Tribune The Tribune — 2025-11-06

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