Chavan slams govt for giving snooping powers to central

Maharashtra Congress chief Ashok Chavan Friday condemned the Centre's decision to authorise 10 central agencies to intercept data on any computer, calling it an attack on democratic values.

The former chief minister said the order amounts to authorising snooping in the name of security.

"This draconian political use of government machinery is also interference in the domain of the states. The repercussions are alarming," he said.

This is a "self-declared emergency" which has come in the wake of BJP's defeat in Assembly elections, Chavan alleged.

"It is an attack on people's privacy and also on democratic values," he said.

The Congress leader also claimed that the saffron party was a "sinking ship" and many of its leaders in Maharashtra were about to quit.

On the acquittal of all the accused in the Sohrabuddin Shaikh encounter killing case, Chavan said in a sarcastic tone, "The question to be asked is whether Sohrabuddin existed or not, did he murder himself or did he commit suicide.

"The witnesses had turned hostile long ago. The question is who influenced them. It is a matter of concern," the Congress leader said.