NEW DELHI: The alleged surveillance of the Congress (I) president Rajiv Gandhi’s residence Monday rocked both houses of Parliament with prime minister Chandra Shekhar informing the lower house that the government had already instituted a high-level probe into the matter.

The upper house of the Parliament had to be adjourned twice amidst stormy scenes with the agitated Congress (I) members demanding an immediate statement from the prime minister.

Irate Congress (I) members raised the issue in both the houses immediately after the question hour. Congress (I) members rushed into the well in the two houses shouting slogans and demanding an explanation from the government

In the upper house Congress (I) leader Shivshankar said “there is a constant surveillance at the residence of our party president 10 Janpath.” This he said was “despicable and apprehensible™ and the Congress (I) members were highly agitated over “this undemocratic and condemnable act”.

The prime minister when pressed upon said in the lower house that two persons were caught outside the residence of Mr Gandhi and they were being questioned.

They had told the Delhi police that they were from the Haryana police intelligence he added.

The prime minister categorically stated that the central government had nothing to do with the alleged surveillance and “it had not approved of it”.

Describing the issue as “a serious matter” Chandra Shekhar said that this was “unethical”.

Every possible remedial action legislative as well executive would be taken after the completion of the inquiry he said adding that he would hold talks with the leaders of the opposition after getting the report.

In the upper house chairperson Dr Najma Heptullah had a tough time trying to cool the passions appealing repeatedly that the members should go back to their seats otherwise she would adjourn the house. She twice adjourned the house.

The leader of the opposition in the lower house L.K.Advani urged the government to immediately put “a full stop” on such acts of surveillance.

Advani demanded that the recent CBI report on surveillance and phone tapping be tabled in the house so that a full discussion could take place.

The government he said should take legislative as well as executive remedial measures to stop such activities.

The prime minister said that he did not know whether the Haryana government had instructed those officials or they were indulging in such act on their own.

The government would talk to the opposition leaders after getting a full report he assured.

Vasant Sathe (Cong-I) ruled out the possibility of those two officials taking such a risk on their own.

Such acts of surveillance must stop as it was not a question of this party or that party “Today it is our party tomorrow there may be some other party or the prime minister himself” he said.

Former Haryana chief minister Bansi Lal (Cong-I) said that every MP was under surveillance of the Haryana police

Why should the Haryana police should have wireless sets in their vehicles moving in Delhi he asked and urged the prime minister to take the matter seriously?

At this stage Janata Dal leader Madhu Dandavate sought permission of the chair to move a privilege motion against Rajiv Gandhi saying that he had misled the house on August 91989 when he was the prime minister. Gandhi had categorically told the house that no politicians telephone was being tapped whereas the recent CBI report had given a list of political leaders whose phones had been tapped he said.

As some members wanted that the government should come out with the report of the inquiry the prime minister said that the incident occurred on Saturday night and the inquiry would be expedited.

Article extracted from this publication >> March 8, 1991