Sushma Swaraj accuses UPA for spying

NI Wire

New Delhi

Thu, 12 Jul 2007: 

July 12: A new chapter added in the presidential election fray as frontline NDA, National Democratic Alliance, leader and Bhairon Singh Shekhawat’s Predential campaign manager, Sushma Swaraj has alleged that the center government is tapping the phone calls of top key leaders of opposition.

Swaraj has accused UPA, United Democratic Alliance, for taping her mobile as well as residential phone along with some key leaders of opposition includes BJP MP S S Ahluwalia and Janata Dal (United) MP Digvijay Singh. “Nine out of 10 calls often result in failed calls and if I call my home from my cellphone it goes to ‘police control room’. What is the connection between my residential telephone and the police?”, said Sushma. Though Sushma has denied about any confirm information of tapping phone of NDA backed independent candidate for presidential election and present Vice-President Bhairon Singh Shekhawat.

S S Ahluwalia confirmed this complain adding, “The problem had become intense for the last eight to 10 days”. “We understand the need to tap the telephones of suspects in the national interest but not political opponents”, said Digvijay Singh. Relating this accusation to the presidential campaign, Sushma said, “We can’t talk to each other and even if the connection is established, we hear some hissing or cracking noise.”

Sushma said, “NDA will send a written complaint to the MTNL chairman and the communications ministry for cross checking, but I know they will deny. We have decided to complain to Election Commission, so that EC can take some action against this low level act. ”

On the other hand, Renuka Chaudhary, Union Minister and Spokesperson of Congress has dismissed Sushma’s accusation by replying that their opponents do not deserve this kind of attention. “We are not just bothered about them in a contest whose outcome is decided; are they so important, why should we tap their phones”, responded Renuka.

In Fact, she counterattacked to the opposition by adding, “the vicious campaign against UPA candidate Pratibha Patil actually smacked of the party’s "bias against women". She also claimed that BJP functionaries were suffering from "selective amnesia".

She also scolded Arun Shourie, the former disinvestments minister and NDA leader for writing articles against UPA candidate Pratibha Patil in the recent website produced by BJP as Arun Shourie has pulled the legs of Pratibha regarding Bank’s defaulter case. She advised Arun Shourie to look back on his records as minister for disinvestment in the NDA government. “How many profit-making PSUs did he close down?" asked Chaudhary.