New Delhi:
The government is likely to be cornered by the opposition and its allies in Parliament after reports that the government tapped phones of four prominent leaders.
Recorded conversations after the IPL scandal broke out may have put the NCP on the backfoot but the Outlook magazine has revealed that not only Sharad Pawar but conversations of three other political leaders were also tapped by the National Technical Research Organisation, an intelligence agency created after the Kargil war.
The Outlook report says Sharad pawar's phone was tapped as recently as two weeks ago and allegedly used to pressurise Pawar to abandon Lalit Modi.
Pawar and Modi's conversation on IPL bidding deals were also recorded.
CPM General Secretary Prakash Karat's phone was also under surveillance. His Phone was tapped in July 2008, at the height of the confrontation with the UPA government over the Indo-US nuclear deal. The taped conversations are on plans on the deal and the no-confidence motion in Parliament.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar's phone was also tapped. In particular, a conversation he had in Delhi with a colleague on how to get more funds from the Centre for Bihar.
However, the government agency did not stop at allies and opposition. Even Congress leader Digvijay Singh was under surveillance and he has reacted with shock to the revelations. His conversation with a Punjab Congress leader who wanted his support on candidature for CWC elections was recorded in detail.