It is a season for celebrity clashes. We had Mukesh versus Anil, then Greg versus Sourav, now Amar versus Sonia. This time, the entertainment could ...
It is a season for celebrity clashes. We had Mukesh versus Anil, then Greg versus Sourav, now Amar versus Sonia. This time, the entertainment could be better, the fight longer. But beyond mirth and titillation created by the battle of bulge versus sphinx, are serious issues involved? Undoubtedly! Otherwise killjoy Prakash Karat would not pontificate so solemnly on the event. So first let's get the facts.
The whole thing started with Mulayam Singh's press conference. Reeling out dates, letters, phone numbers and names of personnel, he charged the central government of tapping Amar Singh's phone at the behest of Sonia Gandhi. He produced copies of letters written by Joint Commissioner, Delhi Police, Ranjit Narayan, seeking permission to tap the phone, and home secretary R. Narayanswamy's letter sanctioning the request. The letters were given to a private detective. The detective approached the telephone service providers, Reliance Infocomm, and on the basis of the letters, obtained a parallel phone line. Mulayam Singh alleged that the line was given to Joint CP Ranjit Narayan. Amar Singh also named officials attached with Sonia Gandhi for being involved in the operation.
It transpires that the Delhi Police periodically approach telephone service providers with letters of authorisation to tap phones. The job is then entrusted to private detectives. A senior Reliance Infocomm officer said: "Each letter cannot be checked for authenticity from Delhi Police." Why not? And why entrust private detectives? This episode has opened a can of worms. It reveals the amount of phone-tapping in the capital, and a system so porous that national security becomes a joke.
The government says the letters were forged. Did handwriting experts examine them? Mulayam Singh said if the letters were forged it exposes a bigger scandal than alleged eavesdropping of politicians. It betrays the collapse of national security. Meanwhile, the police have arrested an employee of Reliance Infocomm. This company belongs to Anil Ambani. He backs Mulayam. Rival sibling Mukesh backs Sonia. Is there a deeper game?
Mulayam Singh revealed unsuspected insight and depth. He even quoted Disraeli to highlight the impropriety of delving into personal lives. Either Mulayam Singh was also a keen student of British history while wrestling as a youth in the mud pits of Etawah, or he is being well briefed. Comrade Karat has demanded a credible inquiry. He needs to cheer up. Trotsky failed to realise his dream of permanent revolution. Thanks to spy cameras and bugging devices, India is fast achieving permanent revelation.
(Puri can be reached at rajinderpuri2000@yahoo.com)