NEW DELHI, April 26 � Home Minister P Chidambaram today categorically said the UPA government had not done any phone tapping on political leaders, as it came under fire from a united Opposition in Parliament rocked by this allegation, reports PTI.
Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day without transacting any business, hours ahead of schedule as sparks flew as soon as the two Houses assembled for the day with a belligerent Opposition putting the government on mat.
A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the issue was also demanded by the opposition, as members said the alleged action was reminiscent of Emergency days.
�I wish to state categorically that no telephone tapping or eavesdropping on political leaders was authorised by the previous UPA government. Nor has the present UPA government authorised any such activity,� Chidambaram said in the Lok Sabha trying to assuage the concerns of the agitated opposition members.
The opposition charge in the Lok Sabha was led by senior BJP leader L K Advani who demanded a statement from the Prime Minister. Advani wanted a law to be passed to prevent the government from tapping phones of political leaders.
A similar demand was made in the Rajya Sabha by BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu. Members from the BJP, Left, AIADMK, JD(U) and SP did not allow Question Hour and legislative business in both the Houses of Parliament. The Houses were briefly adjourned twice.
Chidambaram in his statement read out amidst the din said the report in Outlook magazine on phone tapping was thoroughly enquired into and �nothing has been found in the records of the NTRO (National Technical Research Organisation) to substantiate the allegations.�
�Further enquiries are being made into the allegations in the magazine. If any evidence is forthcoming or discovered, the matter will be thoroughly investigated by the appropriate agencies,� said Chidambaram, who read out an identical statement in the Rajya Sabha.
The news weekly had alleged in an article that the phones of Union Minister Sharad Pawar, Congress leader Digvijay Singh, CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had been tapped.
NEW DELHI, April 26 � Home Minister P Chidambaram today categorically said the UPA government had not done any phone tapping on political leaders, as it came under fire from a united Opposition in Parliament rocked by this allegation, reports PTI.
Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day without transacting any business, hours ahead of schedule as sparks flew as soon as the two Houses assembled for the day with a belligerent Opposition putting the government on mat.
A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the issue was also demanded by the opposition, as members said the alleged action was reminiscent of Emergency days.
�I wish to state categorically that no telephone tapping or eavesdropping on political leaders was authorised by the previous UPA government. Nor has the present UPA government authorised any such activity,� Chidambaram said in the Lok Sabha trying to assuage the concerns of the agitated opposition members.
The opposition charge in the Lok Sabha was led by senior BJP leader L K Advani who demanded a statement from the Prime Minister. Advani wanted a law to be passed to prevent the government from tapping phones of political leaders.
A similar demand was made in the Rajya Sabha by BJP leader Venkaiah Naidu. Members from the BJP, Left, AIADMK, JD(U) and SP did not allow Question Hour and legislative business in both the Houses of Parliament. The Houses were briefly adjourned twice.
Chidambaram in his statement read out amidst the din said the report in Outlook magazine on phone tapping was thoroughly enquired into and �nothing has been found in the records of the NTRO (National Technical Research Organisation) to substantiate the allegations.�
�Further enquiries are being made into the allegations in the magazine. If any evidence is forthcoming or discovered, the matter will be thoroughly investigated by the appropriate agencies,� said Chidambaram, who read out an identical statement in the Rajya Sabha.
The news weekly had alleged in an article that the phones of Union Minister Sharad Pawar, Congress leader Digvijay Singh, CPI(M) leader Prakash Karat and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar had been tapped.
