Sangma, Heptullah to probe IB snooping in Parliament

NEW DELHI, JULY 31: Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptullah will conduct a joint inquiry into the In...

NEW DELHI, JULY 31: Lok Sabha Speaker PA Sangma and Rajya Sabha Deputy Chairperson Najma Heptullah will conduct a joint inquiry into the Intelligence Bureau (IB) surveillance in Parliament. Speaking to The Indian Express, Heptullah said Prime Minister IK Gujral had asked them to conduct the inquiry.

“Since the members have expressed serious concern over the issue we will inquire into it,” she said, adding that the results of the inquiry may not be made public. “Let us see what we find, then we will decide whether to make a statement or not,” she said.

Sources say that after The Indian Express report, the dozen IB agents covering Parliament House were asked to report to the headquarters. IB Director Arun Bhagat has also ordered an internal inquiry to know how details of the IB contingent and units “leaked to a newspaper”. Earlier, agitated members of Parliament today slammed the government over a report in The Indian Express that Intelligence Bureau officials were snooping on them in the precincts of Parliament House. In the Rajya Sabha, Congress and BJP members raised the issue as soon as the House asembled in the morning.

Story continues below this ad

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Jayanthi Natarajan attempted to deny the report but could not be heard above the din. In the Lok Sabha, as soon as Congress MP Priyaranjan Dasmunshi raised the issue during zero hour, MPs from across the political spectrum were on their feet. Waving copies of The Indian Express they shouted at the Speaker saying the government should make a statement on the issue of surveillance by the security agencies. BJP member Jaswant Singh said security in Parliament was the responsibility of the Speaker. Since 1984 there has been a voluntary dilution of the Speaker’s authority in this regard. It is inevitable that other agencies like the IB would then assert themselves, he said.“We have an Intelligence Bureau man on watch outside the BJP office in Parliament House. To whom do we complain? To the government?, he asked rhetorically.

The Bharatiya Janata Party member was supported by Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Somnath Chatterjee who said if the matter was correct it violated the sovereignty of the House. The practice of posting Intelligence Bureau personnel to keep a watch on Parliament members’ activities was highly objectionable and should cease with immediate effect. Madhukar Sarpotdar, Shiv Sena, said it was an insult to all the members and an assault on the dignity of the House.

In the Rajya Sabha, Leader of the Opposition Sikander Bakht (BJP) pointed out that the report could not be written off as it had given several details of the way IB officials operated in Parliament. V K Malhotra (BJP) wanted to know if the Speaker or Chairman had given their permission. “There is a vast difference between security and surveillance,” Vayalar Ravi (Congress) said.