New Delhi:
Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde is expected to make a statement in the Rajya Sabha today on an alleged attempt to tap the phone of BJP leader Arun Jaitley, who is also Leader of Opposition in the upper house.
The BJP has demanded an apology from the government, which had promised last week to collate information on the alleged phone-tapping and place it before the House. The Rajya Sabha had to be adjourned then, as members of the Samjawadi Party and others joined the BJP to demand an explanation.
BJP vice president Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today accused the government of "spying on the Opposition". "Had the government instead spent more resources on countering terrorism, the nation would been safer," he said.
The Delhi Police, which has arrested a constable and three private detectives for allegedly trying to access call details of Mr Jaitley's phone, say they are investigating a "larger conspiracy"; they say the same people have tried to access the cellphone records of at least 12 politicians.
Anurag Singh, one of the private detectives arrested in Delhi last week, has earlier been accused of tapping the phone of former Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh in 2005.
The Delhi Police constable arrested, Arvind Dabas, has been charged with allegedly using his senior's computer to send a request to a mobile service provider seeking information on Mr Jaitley's call records.