Reports of phone tapping in English daily mischievous: TN CM

Chennai, Jan 29 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi today denied that the state intelligence wing was tapping telephones of select politicians, academicians, businessmen lawyers and journalists.

Dismissing as ''mischievous'' the reports to this effect in an English daily, the Chief Minister said this was nothing but a mischievous campaign, aimed at tarnishing the image of the government.

Mr Karunanidhi was responding to Pattali Makkal Katchi (PMK) legislature party leader G K Mani, who expressed serious concern over the alleged tapping of phones and want to know whether the government had directed the intelligence wing to tap the phones of select people in various spheres.

Mr Karunanidhi said the member should have verified the fact, before raising the issue in the House. The report in the English daily was totally false and based on speculation, he said.

''We know how this daily came here and set its foot,'' the Chief Minister said, adding not all that appeared in the media was correct and true. The PMK organ had also published a news that his daughter and MP, Kanimozhi, would become Union Minister, he said and asked whether it was correct.

He said the intelligence wing has given him a note stating that they keep a tag on only terrorist and extremist elements, which posed threat to the country's sovereignty and security.

Meanwhile, state Director General of Police also denied that the intelligence wing had indulged in phone tapping.

In a statement here, the DGP, describing the report as false and mischievous, said the intelligence wing was keeping a watch on only those who suspected to be indulging in activities against the interest of the country.

The police monitor the activities of only extremists, terrorists and fundamentalists, who posed threat to the country's sovereignty and security, he said.

The DGP said the report that Police was tapping the phones of some politicians was false and based on speculation, aimed at bringing bad name to the government.

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