Make Essar tapes public for people to discern its veracity, demands Congress

Congress leader Manish Tewari said the tapes should be made public for the people to know what is going on

Taking a strong exception to reports published in the media over Essar Group allegedly tapping phones of several top businessmen, former cabinet ministers and high-profile bureaucrats, the Congress Party on Friday demanded that the tapes be made public as the people would be the 'best judge' to discern its veracity.

"The allegations are serious and multifaceted implications, but most importantly if those tapes exist, they need to be made public because the people need to know as to what is going on," said Congress leader Manish Tewari.

"With regard to the veracity of those tapes, the people would be the best judge to really discern as whether these tapes are genuine or they are doctored or spliced," he added.

The former union minster further said the fundamental and the most germane issue is that those tapes need to come out in the public domain.

The allegations of tapping was made in a 29-page complaint submitted to Prime Minister Narendra Modi by a Delhi-based Supreme Court lawyer Suren Uppal, who claims he represents former Essar employee who allegedly tapped the phones.

The report published in a leading daily says the recorded conversations allegedly reveal how businessmen reach out to the politicians to seek favours.

The purported conversations recorded reveal widespread peddling of influence in corridors of power, "corruption in the business milieu," brokering of deals and blurring of lines between business and government.