Backing the move with national interest and threats to national security, the Centre said it was only filling glaring gaps in the surveillance laws left by the UPA regime which had facilitated illegal snooping in the past such as the Nira Radia tapes
New Delhi: In the face of Opposition crying hoarse, the Centre on Friday released a notification arming 10 agencies to legally intercept or decrypt any information for the purpose of national security.
Backing the move with national interest and threats to national security, the Centre said it was only filling glaring gaps in the surveillance laws left by the UPA regime and which facilitated illegal snooping such as the Nira Radia tapes.
As the Opposition whipped up a storm in Rajya Sabha, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said the surveillance was for maintaining national security and that the rules of surveillance had first been passed by the Congress-led UPA regime back in 2009.
The 20th December notification is a codification of the SOP issued by the MHA on May 19, 2011 when Chidambaram was Home Minister.
Jaitley said the Opposition was making a mountain where even a molehill did not exist.
According to section 69 of the Information Technology Act, 2000, the Centre or a state government or any of its officers could direct any agency to intercept or decrypt any information for the purpose of national security.
- Intelligence Bureau
- Narcotics Control Bureau
- Enforcement Directorate
- Central Board of Direct Taxes
- Directorate of Revenue Intelligence
- Central Bureau of Investigation
- National Investigation Agency
- Cabinet Secretariat (RAW)
- Directorate of Signal Intelligence (For service areas of Jammu & Kashmir, North East and Assam only)
- Commissioner of Police, Delhi
The notification would ensure that provisions of law relating to lawful interception or monitoring of computer resource were followed to the letter and under approval of the competent authority, i.e., Union Home Secretary.
BJP hits back
BJP president Amit Shah has hit back hard at Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of 'fear-mongering'. He even went to the extent of suggesting that "there were only two insecure dictators in the history of India", insinuating it to be Nehru and Indira Gandhi, without naming them.
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley also said that the rules under which agencies have been authorised to intercept were framed in 2009 when the Congress-led UPA was in power.
