Virbhadra attacks Dhumal over phone tapping issue

Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today hit back at BJP leader Prem Kumar Dhumal for alleging that his phone numbers were being tapped, saying no officer of his government is indulging in such activities.
Singh said the former chief minister's remarks that some individual officers indulged in the act without his knowledge are not convincing as "no officer can indulge in phone tapping without the knowledge of the chief minister."
"It is just an attempt to divert the attention of the people and an attempt to cover up the large scale phone tapping during the BJP regime," Singh told reporters here.

"During the BJP regime, the government not only illegally tapped the phones on a large scale but also retained the taped conversion beyond the permissible time limit," he alleged.
"The Government tapes the phones of criminals, terrorists and other anti-social elements and there is no question of phones of political leaders being tapped," he added.
Replying to a query on winding up of Planning Commission by the Centre, the chief minister said the uncertainty over a new body must end so that devolution of funds could be made to the state.
He said that the Planning Commission had rendered useful services to the country and protected the interests of small states like Himachal, enabling them to come on par with developed states.