Shinde denies Mamata’s charge on phone tapping

Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde on Thursday denied West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s charge that her phone was tapped when she was leading a movement at Nandigram nearly five years ago.

“We have not tapped anyone’s phones,” Mr. Shinde told journalists here.

Speaking in Kolkata, Ms. Banerjee alleged that the Home Ministry had ordered her phone-tapping in the past.

“I was in the Central government… I know that anybody’s phone can be tapped with the help of the Home Ministry.”

She alleged that her phone was also tapped at the height of her movement at Nandigram.