Modi snooping row: Khurshid fears totalitarian control in society

Referring to the snooping row involving the Gujarat Government and its police, External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid expressed concern over the possibility of India ending up being a totalitarian society.

Asked by reporters on the side of a conference organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry here, Khurshid asked: "Is this the country we live in? Is this the kind of country we want to live in where government agencies are chasing you around, monitoring calls."

"It is very easy to find out what people are doing, we're an open society. We should put restrictions on ourselves to ensure that that we don't interfere in the lives of ordinary people, private citizens that do not affect national security," he added.

"It should only be done in cases of paramount national importance," Khurshid further said.

He also said that it was the individual's rights that needed to be protected at all times first, before listening to the views of his or her family.