Judge to be appointed before counting of votes to probe alleged snooping: Shinde

New Delhi, 2 May, 2014

Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today said that the Congress-led UPA government will appoint a judge to conduct inquiry into alleged snooping in Gujarat before counting of votes in Lok Sabha polls. He said a judge will be appointed soon as per cabinet’s decision.

Following the proposal for setting up the probe panel, mooted by the Home Ministry, which had suggested that it should be headed by a sitting or a retired Supreme Court Judge, the Congress-led UPA cabinet had in December last year taken a decision to look into the alleged surveillance affair in Gujarat in broader manner. According to that decision, the commission was formed to look into not just one specific case of surveillance, but all the incidents of physical as well as electronic surveillance in the states of Himachal Pradesh and NCR and Gujarat.

Official communication on formation of commission was this: The Cabinet has approved a proposal to set up a Commission of Inquiry under Commission of Inquiry Act, 1952, to look into the incidents of physical/electronic surveillance in the States of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, and the National Capital Territory of Delhi, allegedly without authorization.

It is interesting to note that union government has so far failed to find a judge for commission. Some judges approached for this job reportedly refused to accept it.

Reacting to union government’s decision, BJP leader Arun Jaitley in a note had said: The Central Government has announced the setting up a Commission of Inquiry to probe the allegations of alleged snooping by the Gujarat Government. This action is politically motivated. The Congress Party has not learnt from the drubbing it got in the elections recently. It has continued with its strategy of fighting Narendra Modi not politically but through investigative agencies and now through a Commission of Inquiry.The Gujarat Government has already set up a Commission of Inquiry to inquire into this issue. The setting up of a parallel Commission by the Central Government ostensibly on the pretext of this issue covering more than one State is without any basis. This action legally is a suspect and liable for challenge. I am sure it will be legally challenged in courts. The setting up of this Commission violates the federal structure of the Constitution. It is an affront to the States.I hope other Chief Ministers also join in the protest against this action.

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