Govt allows...
Dismissing the Centre’s defence, the Congress on Friday demanded to know the reasons, including what was the threat to the nation, behind giving a “blanket authority” to Central agencies to snoop on all computers. Congress leader Jaiveer Shergill accused ministers of “lying” and asserted that the latest order was vastly different from the 2009 rules.
Later, in a blog, Jaitley argued that section 69 of the Information Technology Act authorises such interception or monitoring or decrypting an information stored in a computer resource.
“This provision is similar to the power contained in the Telegraph Act in relation to telephones. The UPA Government had laid down a detailed procedure for this in the Information Technology (Procedure and Safeguards for Interception, Monitoring and Decryption of Information) Rules, 2009, “he wrote.
“Rule 4 authorises the competent authority to name the agencies which can undertake this exercise,” he added.
Jaitley also added there are safeguards — an interception or monitoring is only authorised under a specific approval of the home secretary, for instance. “These rules have been framed in 2009 by the UPA Government. The rules required authorised agencies to be notified. In the absence of this authorisation, any police officer may start exercising the power. In fact, during UPA-II in a detailed debate in Parliament relating to a corporate lobbyist, the then Home Minister Shri P. Chidambaram strongly defended this power of interception being given to taxation authorities,” Jaitley said.
Refuting allegations that this is a snooping order, Jaitley also wondered, “How else will terrorists who use technology extensively be traced? Otherwise, the terrorists will use IT, but the intelligence and investigative agencies will be crippled.”
In the Upper House, Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad raised the issue to allege that “undeclared Emergency has taken final shape” and “all federal agencies have been let loose”.
Apart from the Congress, the Communist Party of India (Marxist), the Samajwadi Party (SP), the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), the Trinamool Congress (TMC), and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) opposed the move.
CPI(M) politburo maintained that the track record of this gov- ernment “in harassing and persecuting citizens who do not share the RSS/BJP viewpoint” is there for everyone to see. “Individuals have been picked up for social media posts which are seen as being inimical to their image.”
“If anybody is going to monitor the computer, including your computer, that is the Orwellian state. George Orwell is around the corner. It is condemnable,” said former home minister P Chidambaram.
AAP leader and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said India has been under undeclared emergency since May 2014. “Now in its last couple of months Modi govt is crossing all limits by seeking control of even the citizens computers,” he tweeted.
“Can such curtailment of fundamental rights be tolerated in world’s largest democracy?” he said. 2018 from West Bengal with the support of the Trinamool Congress.
Irate state Congress workers agitated outside the court on Friday. “State Congress president Somen Mitra will lodge a complaint with party president Rahul Gandhi about it,” said state Congress spokesperson Ritzu Ghosal.
“Only a small number of people protested and are making an issue out of it. I don’t take unsolicited advice since I always compartmentalise my political and professional life,” Singhvi told the media at a press conference.
“A rath yatra with a communal overture is being opposed by a government and not by any political party. What’s wrong in my representing the government?” Singhvi asked.