THE last week of April was dedicated to financial business in both houses. In Lok Sabha increases in the prices of essential commodities, petroleum products and fertilisers were the issue on which the Left and other opposition parties walked out for three consecutive days. There was a division on cut motions moved by the Left and other parties when a large number of demands for grants were guillotined. In the voting on finance bill on April 29, the Left parties’ amendments were defeated by voice vote. The Left and other parties registered their protest over the price increases and walked out during the voting.
ON PHONE TAPPING
Monday, April 26, saw a ruckus in both houses parliament when the opposition brought the issue of tapping of political leaders’ telephones. They called it “unethical, unconstitutional and shameful,” subverting the democratic system and breeding an atmosphere of illegality in the higher echelons of governance.
During the discussion on phone tapping, CPI (M) leader Sitaram Yechury said it affects probity in public life and undermines the foundations of our parliamentary democracy and constitution. In a judgement in 1997, the Supreme Court had clearly stated that if not done in accordance with the law and laid-out procedure, it is violative of articles 19 and 21. Yechury asked: are we today exercising restraint about not misusing the provisions of Indian Telegraph Act of 1882 which is an anachronism in today’s modern world? The Supreme Court has specified five circumstances in which tapping is permissible. But phone tapping for political reasons is not in the interest of the country or of parliamentary democracy. The information is that the tapping related to the 2G spectrum scam. It is confirmed that licenses were given to certain firms, who later sold them to foreign telecom players for huge amounts and thereby got windfall profits. Yechury emphatically said the information from authorised tapping is not used to clean the system but information from unauthorised tapping is used to score political points. This cannot be allowed to continue. It is high time the anachronistic 1882 Act is suitably amended and brought in tune with the modern times.
Yechury also accused two Israeli companies, working in India, of being involved in phone tapping, saying this is a serious problem for internal security.
Source: People’s Democracy dated 16-05-2010
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