Congress raised "serious issue" of Modi government acting as a 'surveillance state' (File)
The Congress today claimed that the Supreme Court had "put a stamp" on its reservations over the government's move to create a social media hub, a day after the top court asked the centre whether it wants to tap citizens' WhatsApp messages as it will be like "becoming a surveillance state".
Congress's communications in-charge Randeep Surjewala said in a tweet that on June 1 the Congress had raised the "serious issue" of the Modi government acting as a 'surveillance state' by setting up a 'Social Media Communication Hub' that "will be a tool by BJP to snoop on citizens".
"July 13: SC puts a stamp on our reservations," he said on Twitter.
Mr Surjewala also tagged a statement issued by Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi on June 1 in which he had accused the Modi government of trying to invade the privacy of every individual in the country by creating a social media hub.
"Does the government want to tap its citizens' WhatsApp messages? It will be like creating a surveillance state," the top court bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices A M Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud had said while hearing a PIL filed by a Trinamool Congress legislator from West Bengal.
The bench sought the Centre's response on the plea by TMC MLA Mahua Moitra and also asked for Attorney General KK Venugopal's assistance in the matter.
In May this year, the Broadcast Engineering Consultants India Limited (BECIL), a Public Sector Undertaking under the Information and Broadcasting Ministry, had floated a tender to supply a software for the project.