Politics
Rahul Gandhi Slams PM Modi Over Snooping Order
Congress president Rahul Gandhi today targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi over a Home Ministry order that gives sweeping powers to investigating agencies to monitor data on computers, and called him an "insecure dictator" who is trying to turn India into a "police state".
The government has been panned by the opposition for the order, which gives ten central agencies powers to "intercept, monitor and decrypt any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer". The order was signed by Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba.
"Converting India into a police state isn't going to solve your problems, Modi Ji. It's only going to prove to over 1 billion Indians what an insecure dictator you really are," Rahul Gandhi tweeted.
The new order will empower the Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, CBI, National Investigation Agency, Cabinet Secretariat (Research and Analysis Wing), Directorate of Signal Intelligence (in Jammu and Kashmir, North-East and Assam only) and the Delhi Police Commissioner to analyse private data. It also states that the subscriber, service provider or any person in charge of the computer resource is bound to extend all facilities and technical help to the agencies if they ask for data. If not, they can face seven years in jail and a fine.