Rahul Gandhi Tweets on Snooping Row, Calls PM Narendra Modi an 'Insecure Dictator'
The Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday clarified that no new powers were conferred to any of the security or law enforcement agencies, adding that the government has the authority to permit any law enforcement agency to monitor any computer in particular cases.
New Delhi, December 21: Congress President Rahul Gandhi took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and called him an "insecure dictator" for allegedly bringing all computers under its watch. The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) on Thursday issued an order to that effect, said news reports. MHA Order Permits Government to Snoop into Any Computer; Opposition Slams Move.
The government authorised 10 central agencies to intercept, monitor, and decrypt any information transmitted, received or stored in any computer. Rahul Gandhi tweeted on this issue and
Check Congress President Rahul Gandhi's Tweet Below:
The Ministry of Home Affairs on Friday clarified that no new powers were conferred to any of the security or law enforcement agencies, adding that the government has the authority to permit any law enforcement agency to monitor any computer in particular cases. The ministry asserted an approval from higher authorities is a must for any monitoring or interception.
"Rule 4 of IT (Procedure and Safeguards for Interception, Monitoring and Decryption of Info) Rules'09 provides that ‘the authority may authorise a government agency to intercept, monitor or decrypt info generated, transmitted or stored in any computer for purpose specified in the Act’," the ministry said.
Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad, speaking at the MHA order allowing 10 agencies to monitor any computer resource, said that this has been done in national security interest. "It has been done under the law made by the Manmohan Singh government in 2009.Each case of interception and the decision is to be approved by Union Home Secy," said the law minister.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 21, 2018 06:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).