Bengaluru, Sept 20: Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Tuesday accused the BJP-led Centre of tapping phones of Congress leaders in the state.
“It is not the state government, but the Centre that is tapping phones,” Siddaramaiah told reporters, reacting to BJP leader R Ashoka’s allegation that the Congress government had tapped the phones of BJP and JD(S) leaders. “Tapping phones of opposition party leaders is something our government has never done and will never do. But the Centre has been tapping our phones, which the state BJP is not aware of. We haven’t played it up, because it’s a small thing,” he said.
Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy, too, claimed that the Centre had resorted to espionage. “It’s true that the phones of 30-35 Congress leaders are being tapped. It’s been happening for many days,” Reddy said. He, however, refused to name leaders whose phones were under surveillance.
This is not the first time the state Congress is alleging that phones were being tapped. Late last month, Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) vice-president Prof B K Chandrashekhar accused that the Centre was using a mobile company to tap phones.
Ashoka dared Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy to institute an inquiry. “The ruling Congress had tapped 162 mobile numbers belonging to BJP and JD(S) leaders. I was a home minister. I have reliable information,” Ashoka said. “Phones belonging to terrorists or rowdies can be tapped, but there’s no provision to tap phones of politicians. Let there be a departmental inquiry or a CBI probe into this,” he said.
Welcoming the move Dr Arathi Krishna told coastaldigst.com that Indians stranded in any foreign country can utilize this facility. "Initially, I was approached by Mr Zakaria and Mr Sheik who wanted chartered flights to help their employees fly back to India. I asked them to write to the Indian Ambassador in Saudi Araia Mr Ausaf Sayeed. Then I requested the ambassador to forward the request to Joint Secretary Dr Nagendra Prasad, who is in charge of gulf division in the Ministry of External Affairs, and then to Secretary on charge of Gulf and then I requested Secretary of Economic Relations Mr T S Tirumurti who was also in charge of Gulf to follow this up," she said.
Comments
Standard dialogue by the shouting brigade! When they are at low Congress will come up with such bombastic ideas like they are under surveillance life is under threat. This was the time tested formula of survival of Indira Gandhi whenever she was cornered. Phone tapping and sighting of armed assailant are the halmark of this survival formula.
Congress is so seriously unemployed !
They desperately need some constructive work & an intelligent thinking adult.
Govt maybe BJP/ Modi's today but even now they are cleaning the muck of the previous Govt - scams then , scams now!
What is Congres creating all this ruckus about ?
To come to power once again ?
To do what - sell the people of India to Italy or change India's name to Italy ?
Nothing else seems to be left.
Tapping phones is not a small thing. It can topple governments Siddaji, Beware. I know you are aware of its dangers and if really center had done it , you and your colleagues would have been the first to bring to light such a major scandal. Now you are saying these things only to counter allegations on you.
CM is worried that his phone conversations with Sonia and Rahul are being tapped
The BJP is the top of such a Task
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