Even as there is considerable consternation in political quarters over the reported bugging of the North Block offices of Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee, his two key aides Omita Paul and Manoj Pant, and two conference rooms, there was no official word on the security breach except for Mr. Mukherjee himself saying that an Intelligence Bureau investigation had “found nothing in it.”
Concerned over the security breach in his office, Mr. Mukherjee is understood to have urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to institute a secret inquiry into the possible surveillance attempt by way of “planted adhesives” in 16 locations in his ministry. In his letter to Dr. Singh three days after the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) commissioned private investigators to carry out an electronic sweep of his office, he is believed to have informed the Prime Minister that no live microphones or recording devices were found during the search.
The suspicion is that the adhesives found in key places, including under Mr. Mukherjee's desk, were used to hold listening devices in place.
Confirming the episode without divulging anything further, Mr. Mukherjee told the media here on Tuesday, “In respect of the news item regarding bugging in my offices, the IB investigated…and found nothing in it,” he said.
However, the fact that the CBDT apparently first brought in private investigators rather than the IB has raised eyebrows in political circles, with the Opposition virtually accusing ministers and ministries of spying against each other.
A senior Home Ministry official made light of the story, claiming the adhesives were nothing other than chewing gum. But BJP leader Sushma Swaraj said the allegations were shocking. In a series of late night tweets, she said, the “chewing gum theory is hard to digest...Is it that the government was spying on its own finance minister? Or is it a corporate house? In either case, it is a matter of grave concern. It is India's Watergate and deserves to be thoroughly investigated.”
The government seems to be in a state of chaos with one Ministry against the other, the Congress party in contradiction with the government and with each Minister trying to better the other, the Bharatiya Janata Party said here on Tuesday.
Party spokesperson Shahnawaz Husain referred to news reports on the matter and wanted to know whether a trust deficit prevented Mr. Mukherjee from taking the help of the Home Ministry for the e-sweeping exercise. “While recently the government seemed to be at war with civil society over the Lokpal bill, now it seems to be civil war in the government itself,” Mr. Husain said.
Why wasn't the Home Ministry asked to conduct a thorough probe? Why was a private detective agency hired? Were any devices found? The people have the right to know for it is a very serious matter, the BJP spokesperson said.
Moreover, the BJP said that if the office of the Leader of the House who is the Finance Minister and number two in the government is not safe, no place in the country could be considered safe.
