INDIA’S OPPOSITION yesterday warned that democracy was in danger as it demanded answers from the government over allegations that senior politicians’ telephones had recently been tapped.
Vociferous MPs forced both houses of parliament to adjourn following a news magazine report that mobile phones of a senior federal minister and other opposition leaders were tapped ahead of sensitive matters that included a crucial confidence vote in parliament over the controversial nuclear deal with the US in September 2008.
Federal home minister P Chidambaram “categorically” denied that the Congress Party-led administration had authorised the telephone tapping.
"The allegations in the (magazine) story were thoroughly inquired into. Nothing has been found in the records to substantiate the allegations," Mr Chidambaram told parliament, as MPs demanded a statement from prime minister Manmohan Singh, which he was unable to make as parliament was adjourned. Outlookmagazine claimed that the newly-created National Technical Research Organisation (NTRO), a federal electronic intelligence-gathering agency reporting directly to the Cabinet secretariat, had been regularly eavesdropping on politicians conversations using satellite and specially imported mobile electronic equipment.
Quoting intelligence sources, the magazine claimed that the NTRO listened to conversations of federal agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, Communist Party leader Prakash Karat and opposition party chief minister of eastern Bihar state Nitish Kumar, which involved sensitive matters of state.
“We can dig into anyone’s lives be it political and corporate leaders, journalists, social activists or bureaucrats,” the magazine quoted an unnamed intelligence official as saying. “We can track anyone we choose,” he ominously added.
“Democracy has to be defended,” opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lal Kishen Advani thundered in parliament in response to the eavesdropping.
He said the phone-tapping reports recalled the era when former prime minister Indira Gandhi had clamped a state of emergency on the country in the mid-1970s, suspending human rights, censoring the press and jailing hundreds of opposition politicians.
Other opposition MPs said the tapping could not have been executed without clearance from the highest officials in government and demanded answers. “We are not living in a military regime,” Communist Party of India national secretary D Raja said.
The telephone-tapping controversy adds additional pressure on the beleaguered government before a possible confidence vote on passing the annual budget in addition to clearing other crucial Bills.