The Hindu : National : Concerted campaign to tap phones of Opposition leaders: Amar Singh

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Tuesday, Jan 24, 2006

National

National

Concerted campaign to tap phones of Opposition leaders: Amar Singh

Legal Correspondent

New Delhi: Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh on Monday moved the Supreme Court seeking a judicial inquiry into the alleged tapping of his telephone by the Delhi police.

Mr. Singh said he was filing the petition to prevent indiscriminate telephone tapping by the government machinery in concert with private telecom/cellular operators, resulting in a violation of his constitutional rights. The petition is to be mentioned on Tuesday for early listing.

On January 9, Mr. Singh filed an application, on a matter disposed of by the apex court in 1996, for a direction to the Central and State Governments to strictly enforce its guidelines as well as Rule 419 A of the Indian Telegraph Rules.

Mr. Singh referred to the statements by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa, the former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister, N. Chandrababu Naidu, and the former Union Minister, George Fernandes, that they apprehended that their telephones were also being tapped.

Bharatiya Janata Party leader L.K. Advani also alleged that his telephone was tapped.

The petitioner said there seemed to be a concerted campaign to tap the telephones of the leaders of parties, which were not aligned with the parties in power at the Centre, in a bid to coerce them to toe their line. This "points to an unhealthy trend for the Indian polity and democracy at large."

Mr. Singh also sought a direction calling for documents including those relating to issuance of two orders pursuant to his complaint that his telephone was tapped.

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