Illegal phone tapping is once again snowballing into a major controversy as opposition BJP has now alleged that phones of leader of Opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal is being tapped by the Congress Government and demanded probe by a sitting judge of High Court.
The allegation comes at a time when the Vigilance department is probing allegations of illegal phone tapping done during previous BJP Government and had lodged an FIR after analysing the hard disks seized from CID and Vigilance technical cells. Chief minister Virbhadra Singh had earlier alleged that his and his family members phones were tapped during previous BJP Government.
“BJP suspects that former chief minister and leader of opposition Prem Kumar Dhumal phone is also tapped by the current Congress Government and it should come out with the State clarifying this,” said BJP spokesperson Ganesh Dutt.
He said that questions are being raised on the probe initiated by the Vigilance in the phone tapping case and since the department is under chief minister, there are chances of biases with Virbhadra Singh giving public statements on alleged kingpin of phone tapping before the investigations is over.
“Probe cannot be impartial, when the head of the State and home department is giving statements every now and then that Dhumal and the then DGP DS Minhas could be possible kingpin in the phone tapping,” said Dutt, adding that attempts are being made to malign the image of BJP leaders and the work of previous Government.
“Indian Telegraph act has the provision of seizure of such technical and snooping devices only after registration of complaint but in this action was taken arbitrarily,” said Dutt adding that such seizures were completely illegal in nature.
“We have been demanding from day one that for an impartial probe into phone tapping case, inquiry should be ordered by a sitting judge of a high court,” added Dutt.