Rumblings in state Cong over MLA’s phone ‘tapping’ by cops

Rajmeet Singh

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, November 22

The alleged phone tapping of Samana Congress MLA Rajinder Singh by the Punjab Police has led to rumblings in the Punjab Congress, with the Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PPCC) today demanding a detailed probe into the matter.

The PPCC chief, Sunil Jakhar, said it was a matter of serious concern that phone tapping of elected representatives was being done.

Congress MLAs feel that it was an embarrassment for the party government that repeated occurrence of incidents of conversation of Congress MLAs with Punjab Police officers being made public allegedly by policemen.

In the Samana MLA case, what was puzzling the party leaders is that the Samana MLA’s constituency fell in the Patiala parliamentary segment represented by Preneet Kaur and he was son of senior Congress leader and Mandi Board Chairman Lal Singh.

“Phone tapping and making recorded conversation public are two separate matters. But both are matter of concern. Being elected representatives, there is nothing to hide for the MLAs. I suggest that the issue should be debated in the Vidhan Sabha to ascertain what exactly needs to be done,” said the PPCC chief.

Jakhar said the phone tapping could not be done without the permission of the Home Secretary and Punjab Police top brass. It was “breach of privilege” against the legislators.

Earlier, a telephonic conversation between Food and Supplies Minister Bharat Bhushan Ashu with a Deputy Superintendent of Police, deputed with the Local Bodies Department, in connection with the Grand Manor Homes CLU case and conversation of Congress MLA from Fazilka Davinder Ghaubaya’s with a woman police officer had gone viral in the past.

A number of MLAs, who did not wish to be quoted, said the matter should be taken up in the coming session of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha, as there could be more such cases.

Former Deputy Speaker of the Punjab Vidhan Sabha Bir Devinder said an inspector-rank officer of the Police Department had the audacity to record almost every telephonic call of an MLA. The Speaker of the Punjab Legislative Assembly should have taken suo moto cognisance of such a severe and downright breach of the privilege of the legislators, which by practical implication made them dysfunctional as elected representatives.

While the AAP has sought a probe by a sitting judge of the Punjab and Haryana High Court into the incident, senior SAD leader Dr Daljit Singh Cheema has charged the Congress-led government with committing “breach of privilege” against its own legislators by tapping their phones. He demanded that the Speaker should initiate action against the officials concerned and also demanded a separate criminal case be registered.

Phone tapping and making recorded conversation public are two separate matters. But both are matter of concern. Being elected representatives, there is nothing to hide for the MLAs. I suggest that the issue should be debated in the Vidhan Sabha to ascertain what exactly needs to be done. — Sunil Jakhar, PPCC Chief

The Speaker should initiate action against the officials concerned and also a separate criminal case should be registered. —  Dr Daljit Singh Cheema, SAD leader