High-end equipment for surveillance: BJP ally SAD calls it normal

By Vinay Sharma

CHANDIGARH: Even as BJP on Saturday protested outside Kejriwal’s residence in Delhi against the AAP government proposal to buy high-end equipment for surveillance and monitoring for its anti-corruption branch, NDA ally— Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) in Punjab has already bought snooping equipment worth crores.

SAD adviser on national affairs and media to the chief minister Harcharan Bains calls it a routine exercise, needed to upgrade the intelligence network in the state. However, Punjab Congress Chief Partap Singh Bajwa is set to take on the government on the issue and is likely to meet the Punjab and Haryana High Court Chief justice on Monday.

Congress feels the equipment will be misused to arm-twist opponents and opposition leaders, including the media. In December 2014, a high-level committee gave its approval for purchasing the gadgets. It proposed to quarantine and make important offices ‘bugfree’.