New Delhi: Taking a sharp jibe at the BJP-led Central government’s move to grant permission to 10 agencies to snoop any computer, BJD MP Tathagata Satpathy Friday took to his Twitter handle to castigate the move and said that this government’s love for spy games had been amazing even in the twilight period of 16th Lok Sabha.
The BJD leader dubbed the Union Home Ministry’s recent order as ‘undemocratic and against federalism’. He, however, categorically said that the views were his personal.
“This is an undemocratic order as it goes against federalism because giving such powers to 10 agencies, including Delhi Police, which is not an investigative agency, implies that the government is giving exponentially excessive powers to these 10 investigative agencies in the twilight hour of the 16th Lok Sabha,” said Satpathy.
Rejecting the Union government’s reasoning of national security being behind the order, Satpathy said, “It has nothing to do with national security. I think this is being done with the political motive in mind. I do not think there is any internal threat, rather we should focus more on external intelligence which we are missing.”
Even in the twilight period of this 16th Lok Sabha, this Govt's love for spy games (without Parliament's or Judicial control/oversight) is amazing. Tax payers' money spent for snooping on tax payers' privacy. None bothered that external intel is failing pic.twitter.com/7szGifNjQ2
— Office of T Satpathy (@SatpathyLive) December 21, 2018
He further said that this is something, which will impinge on the states’ authority also. So it is contra-federalism.
Similarly, BJD Rajya Sabha MP Prasanna Acharya jumped onto the bandwagon to condemn the Centre on the controversial move and termed the BJP-led Union government ‘dictatorial’.
”This shows that this is a dictatorial government and it is not a good sign for democracy. We all support national security, but in the name of national security you can’t peep into everybody’s household. They are misusing the law of this land,” said Acharya.
It may be mentioned here that the Union Home Ministry Thursday issued a notification authorising 10 agencies – the Intelligence Bureau, Cabinet Secretariat (RAW), Central Board of Direct Taxes, Department of Revenue Intelligence, Enforcement Directorate, Narcotics Control Bureau, National Investigation Agency, Central Bureau of Investigation, Directorate of Signal Intelligence and Commissioner of Delhi Police – to intercept and monitor any information generated, transmitted or stored in computers.