BJP MP G.V.L. Narasimha Rao has said complaints of phone tapping would be inquired by the CBI or other agencies only as per the directions of courts or when the States request the Central government to look into such illegal acts of eavesdropping.
The Centre would not order an investigation on its own, he said, referring to the letter written by former CM N. Chandrababu Naidu to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Addressing media persons in New Delhi, Mr. Narasimha Rao said Mr. Naidu neither made a specific allegation that his phones were being tapped nor gave the names of others, including judges, whose phones were under surveillance. Nevertheless, there was no scope for the Central government to directly interfere in the matter.
Courts know how to deal with the contingency and they have the powers to bring the culprits to justice, Mr. Rao pointed out.
The MP said the media was agog in 2015-16 that Mr. Naidu's phones were tapped but he never lodged a complaint with the authorities concerned. If he was worried about such snooping into telecom networks, Mr. Naidu could ask the State to investigate and if the State makes a request, duly backed by prima facie evidence, to the Centre, it might order a probe.
Otherwise, the courts could get the complaints checked.
Commenting on YSR Congress leader N. Lakshmi Parvati's demand for a probe into the assets of Mr. Naidu, Mr. Narasimha Rao said a petition filed by her 15 years ago was stayed by court and it was yet to be vacated. She could make a fresh request to the State to dwell into the issue.
