JOIN USOppn alleges phone tapping of MPs; govt denies
The Centre on Friday refuted opposition allegations that it was involved in collecting phone call details of Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley.
Leaders of non-Congress parties in the House strongly condemned the tapping of phones of MPs and other leaders. Besides Jaitley, BJP leaders Nitin Gadkari, Vijay Goel, Sudhanshu Mittal and CPM’s Sitaram Yechuri were said to have been on the radar of a suspended Delhi Police constable and three others, who have been arrested. The minister, however, restricted his answer to the alleged tapping of Jaitley’s phone.
Responding to a discussion on the issue in the House, Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde made it clear that MPs’ phones “are not being tapped” by the government.
The minister said call details of Jaitley were never disclosed and clarified that those who were trying to get details of the calls of Jailtley’s phone were not tapping it.
“The Delhi Police informed us that they came to know that some person had sought call data records (CDRs) of Jaitley. The police came to know about it after the nodal officer of Airtel asked the ACP operation of the Delhi police to reconfirm the request, through email. Since no such request was made, the confirmation was not given, and the call data records were not disclosed," Shinde said.
Minister’s statement
He narrated how detective agencies were involved in seeking call data record of Jaitley through the arrested constable, who was illegally accessing emails of an assistant commissioner of police. He said the constable was working at the behest of private detective agencies. In this case two agencies were involved.
Four persons involved in obtaining the CDRs illegally have been arrested and interrogated, he added.
Opposition members, however, were not satisfied with the statement of the home minister. BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu raised apprehension that the government might be involved in it. “Normally, the suspicion goes towards the government because without the support of the government, this sort of activity is not possible.
There will be suspicion because the government has got a notorious record of misusing Central investigating agencies,” he alleged.
AIADMK leader V Maitreyan said that TV channels had given the names of at least four leaders.
Samajwadi Party leader Ramgopal Yadav demanded that tapping of phone or seeking call details of any member of the Rajya Sabha should be done only with the permission of deputy chairman of the House.
Prasant Chatterjee of the CPM alleged that political opponents are under scanner.“Did this detective agency take your permission,” asked Ravishankar Prasad of the BJP.
“The Indian government is not tapping any member's phone. The Union home secretary is the competent authority to allow phone tapping under the Indian Telegraph Act,” said Shinde.
"The leader of the opposition is not an ordinary man. We will get to its bottom,” he said. However, he refused to give any time limit. He also agreed to inform the telephone department that without the permission of the chairman, no call details of any Rajya Sabha member should be done. Members demanded the cancellation of licences of such errant private detective agencies.
Tit-for-tap
* Shinde offers details of case; says Jaitley’s call details were never disclosed
* Oppn begs to differ
* Venkaiah Naidu suspects govt involvement, without which “this sort of activity is not possible at all”
* Shinde assures to get to the bottom of the case, but doesn’t give any time limit