GUWAHATI, April 13 – Reacting to the charge levelled by Congress spokesperson and State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma about an “underhand dealing” among the BJP, AGP and AUDF ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, which he sought to substantiate by making available the detailed call records of the mobile phone number of People’s Consultative Group (PCG) member Hiranya Saikia, senior BJP leader SS Ahluwalia today termed the allegations as baseless and said that the BJP would move the Election Commission (EC) and resort to necessary legal actions including serving of notice to the telecom service providers concerned. “Telephone tapping is a serious violation of fundamental right that can be resorted to only in the interest of national security, emergency and public order as per guidelines of the Supreme Court verdict of 1997, and with prior approval of the Union Home Ministry. We will move the EC, besides serving notice to the telecom service providers concerned,” Ahluwalia, the BJP Prabhari for Assam, said at a press conference.
The BJP leader said that the Congress was losing its ground, as evident from its ‘mad’ acts and utterings. “The Congress wants to divert people’s attention to non-issues, as it is losing ground… Hiranya Saikia becomes a criminal when he talks to me and turns into a pious man when he talks to Himanta Biswa Sarma. As a politician, I have to talk to all the people,” he said.
Hinting at a possible Congress-ultra nexus, Ahluwalia said that the series of blasts prior to the National Games had stopped suddenly after Himanta Biswa Sarma met certain people and made some payment in Kolkata.
“We will certainly inquire into these incidents,” he said, adding that in the construction of two flyovers in the city, excess payment in crores was made to benefit some contractors.
Saikia’s counter-attack: Launching a counter-attack on Congress spokesperson and State Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, People’s Consultative Group (PCG) member Hiranya Saikia today clarified that his conversations with the leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and the Assam United Democratic Front (AUDF) did not revolve around facilitating a deal among them in view of the ensuing elections, as claimed by the Minister.
The PCG member further stated that the Minister, by accessing the call details of his cell phone number, indulged in an illegal act, which is an attempt to intrude into his personal life.
“I have inquired into the matter with CR Deka, head of the Reliance Mobile for the North-east and he told me that my call details were not made available to any journalist as claimed by the Congress spokesperson during a press conference on Saturday,” said Saikia, adding that he is going to file a legal notice to the cell phone company and would also take ‘necessary legal action’ against the Minister.
“I am in no way involved in facilitating any secret pact among the three parties but even if I had done so, I as a citizen of India, have all the right to do so,” Saikia asserted.
Saikia also threw a challenge to the Congress Government, asking them to make public the call details of his cell phone since 2001, which according to him, would establish the fact that he had made and recieved calls from Himanta Biswa Sarma than the other persons.
“Sarma also alleged that I opposed the hosting of National Games but it was me who facilitated lifting of the ban, and Assam Police’s Special Branch chief Khagen Sarma and those sitting at Delhi know about it,” he stated.
He went on to say that the allegation levelled by the Congress spokesperson is a reflection of the latter’s ‘frustrated mind.’
“The Congress party would fair very poorly, which is making Sarma frustrated,” Saikia stated.
“Unlike what is claimed by the Minister, I do not advocate cessation and I have been playing the role of an architect of ULFA-Government peace talks, which reflects my stand. Having said that, I must say that I have some reservations about the Indian Constitution,” Saikia said.