Parliament adjourned over phone tapping of politicians

NEW DELHI: Home minister P Chidambaram has denied the Opposition’s accusation that the UPA government had authorized the phone tapping of some senior politicians.

The report in 'Outlook' magazine on phone tapping was thoroughly enquired into and nothing has been found, said Chidambaram while making a statement in the Lok Sabha.

A united Opposition on Monday forced the adjournment of both the Houses of the Parliament over the alleged tapping of telephones of some senior politicians by the government.

Question Hour was stalled in both Houses when Opposition members were on their feet protesting against alleged tapping of phones by the government and wanted immediate clarification.

Senior BJP leader L K Advani, who was allowed by Speaker Meira Kumar to speak, said nothing less than statement from the Prime Minister on the issue would be acceptable.

Advani recalled a press conference held on June 25, 1985 to mark 10 years of Emergency in which Atal Bihari Vajpayee spoke about phone tapping of leaders like Chandrashekhar, Jagjivan Ram, Charan Singh and journalists like Kuldeep Nayyar and Arun Shourie.
He demanded that a law should be passed to prevent the government from tapping phones.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister P K Bansal assured the House that Home Minister P Chidambaram would make a statement on the issue at 12 noon.

The Speaker said other members would be allowed to speak after the statement. When this did not pacify the members, Kumar adjourned the House till noon.

TV reports said the Home Minister P Chidambaram is expected to make a statement in the Lok Sabha on the controversial issue.

Soon after nominated member B Jayashree took oath in the Rajya Sabha, the entire opposition led by the BJP and Left parties was up on their feet raising the issue.

S S Ahluwalia (BJP) said a notice for suspension of Question Hour has been given even as his colleagues shouted slogans condemning the alleged act.

Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Prithviraj Chavan said, "Members have raised some issues... notices have been received. The Government will make a statement after the Question Hour."

This, however, did not satisfy the opposition members who continued to raise the issue.

Chairman Hamid Ansari said the Government will make a statement and pleaded with them to allow the Question Hour to proceed.

"All discussions will be at the appropriate time. This is Question Hour... Please allow the Question Hour to proceed," he pleaded but the Opposition benches were unrelenting.

Minutes into the din, Ansari adjourned the House till 12 noon.