Making a startling revelation, Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh on Monday said that when Congress was in Opposition, his table and room was bugged at Himachal Bhawan, Chandigarh, and alleged that the persons responsible were paid Travel Allowance (TA) and Dearness Allowance (TA and DA) by the previous BJP Government.

He said, “In Himachal Bhawan, Chandigarh, I have a special room. It was during one occasion of my stay that some police official bugged my table and room and later I learnt that the BJP Government even paid those people with TA and DA,” Singh said in a Press conference.

He added it is not a question of blaming anyone for the act, but how democratic principles were compromised in a big way. “Himachal Police under the BJP government worked like the German and Russian police and tried to snoop into the private lives of people to satisfy their political masters,” said Singh.

Asked who was responsible for bugging, Singh indirectly said that at that time Prem Kumar Dhumal was chief minister and held the charge of Home Ministry. “They were not able to do so in Delhi as central intelligence agencies took over the charge of my security,” he said.

The Chief Minister added that over 1,000 phone numbers were tapped by the police during BJP government, including politicians and their relatives, people of the civil society and others. “In my past experience as chief minister of the State, I know that in Himachal Pradesh, never had such a huge number of phones tapped,” he said.

Without naming anyone, Virbhadra Singh said that on the day of counting of votes, one senior police official after watching the initial trends of BJP winning went straight to the golf ground to play golf. “They were confident of BJP victory and thus continued with the mischievous designs of phone tapping,” said Singh.

He added that State Government will now verify from the home department as on which numbers the permission was taken and on what grounds and on which numbers the requisite permission was not taken. “I have asked chief secretary Sudripto Roy to monitor and verify from home department and within next 15 days, things will be clear and final results of the probe, will be made public,” he said.

He said the State Government will take legal and disciplinary actions against those who are responsible, including former DGP DS Minhas. “Any person, who has done wrong will not be spared, whether he was DGP or anyone else,” said the Chief Minister.