Snooping row: Misinformation campaign being run to hurt India's image, says Rijiju

Amid a row over the government's decision to allow 10 agencies to intercept information on computers, Union minister Kiren Rijiju Saturday said no agency can snoop on citizens and that a misinformation campaign was being run to hurt the country's image and security.

He said the latest Home Ministry notification was aimed at enabling Internet service providers to help in serious cases of uploading of child pornography and jehadi contents.

Rijiju said the ministry has just put the rules framed by the UPA dispensation in 2009 in public domain.

"No agency can snoop on citizens. Rules framed by UPA Govt in 2009 have been put by MHA in public domain to prevent misuse by unauthorised persons, agencies or service providers," Rijiju tweeted.

The Union minister of state for home said a "misinformation campaign is being spread to hurt the image of India and its security".

The issue had rocked the Rajya Sabha Friday with Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad alleging that undeclared Emergency has taken final shape and all federal agencies have been let loose.

Congress leader Anand Sharma had said India will become a police state with such sweeping powers to agencies to intercept information.

Hitting back, Union minister Arun Jaitley had said the Congress was crying foul over powers created by it when it was in the government.