Rathore asks Cong not to be 'hypocritical' about national security

Information and Broadcasting Minister Rajyavardhan Rathore Saturday defended the government's authorisation to 10 agencies to intercept computers, saying the UPA dispensation also carried out a similar exercise and asked the Congress not to be "hypocritical" about steps taken to ensure national security.

Citing a RTI reply in 2013, when the Congress-led UPA was in power, Rathore said as many as 9000 phones and 500 emails were tapped monthly during the UPA-2, a reference to the alliance second term in office during 2009-14.

"As many as 9000 phones & 500 emails were tapped monthly in UPA2, a 2013 RTI reveals. That's 300 phones & 20 emails tapped- every single day. With its history of emergency & post office amendment bill, Congress should not be hypocritical about steps to ensure national security," he tweeted.

The 2013 RTI reply had also listed nine central agencies, including Intelligence Bureau, RAW, CBI and ED among others, besides state agencies, which were authorised for lawful interception.

The BJP-led NDA government's move to authorise 10 agencies to intercept any information on computers has prompted an outcry from opposition parties, even as its top ministers, including Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, said it has been done in line with rules framed by the UPA.

The decision to intercept anybody's computer can be invoked only in matters of national integrity and security, public order and friendly relations with other countries, Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has said.

The earlier mechanism was not defined and it has now been made robust and accountable, he claimed.

The government order authorises 10 central agencies, including Intelligence Bureau, Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate to intercept, monitor, and decrypt any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer.