Tony Blair’s 2001 Delhi Bugging Scare and the Anglo-Indian Spy Alliance
When Tony Blair visited India as Prime Minister in 2001, two listening devices were allegedly found in his New Delhi hotel suite. According to reports, British security officers discovered and removed the bugs during a routine sweep, preventing any public revelation at the time.
Blair chose not to generate diplomatic tension. Instead, he discreetly exchanged his room for that of a junior delegate and continued his visit as scheduled.
“Corroborated by former British intelligence and security personnel,”
Dr. Paul McGarr of King’s College London confirmed that this incident, first hinted at in Alastair Campbell’s memoirs, was later verified through reliable sources. No official culprit was identified, though speculation pointed toward India’s Research and Analysis Wing (RAW).
Dr. McGarr emphasized that the event served as a reminder of enduring intelligence rivalries between-friendly nations, while also evoking an older history of collaboration that began soon after India’s independence. Decades earlier, British and Indian agencies had maintained quiet arrangements that ensured their cooperation persisted beyond the end of colonial rule.
Author’s Summary
The 2001 Delhi bugging episode revealed both the fragility and endurance of post-colonial intelligence ties between the UK and India, blending rivalry with residual cooperation.