Driving Naari Programme launched in Chandigarh
Chandigarh, November 15: People’s Party of Punjab Chief Manpreet Singh Badal today lambasted Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, who is also the Home Minister, for peeking into private lives of the people by way of phone tapping. He condemned such activities as an attack on civil rights of the people that is unconstitutional.
“My issue is not as to whose phones have been tapped in the present case. What is serious is that it is the Akali ministers who are playing these recordings at news conferences to prove certain points. They might be right in hitting the nail on the head in the political battle but the basic question that I am concerned with is the right of the individual to privacy. The people has a right to know as to who or which agency is behind phone tapping as going by the law, it can’t be done without adopting the laid down procedure”, he said.
Manpreet said as the issue concerned Punjab, the Home Minister must come out as to who was indulging in such illegal activities and on whose orders. This was a dangerous trend that must be checked at this point itself. It has been known that the phones of the political adversaries were being tapped illegally but now it has conclusively proved that the phones of everybody who is somebody are being tapped and that too illegally.
He said such tactics were part of the totalitarian regimes and governance in Punjab was now characterized by this ominous trend that would have far reaching consequences.
He referred to the cancellation of the press conference by the Akali Dal on November 13 were the recording was to be released but after a rethink on the issue of legality, it was first uploaded on the social media and then taken up by the government at a news conference the next day.
He appealed to the Punjab and Haryana High Court to take a sue motto notice of this dangerous trend that was direct attack on the civil right of the people.
