The government has decided to bring all computers in the country under its watch. It has authorised ten intelligence and security agencies to monitor and intercept the computers under the IT Act.
The agencies who can access any information generated, transmitted, stored or received on the computers include Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Central Board of Direct Taxes, National Investigation Agency, Enforcement Directorate and Central Bureau of Investigation.
Responding to the backlash on the move, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley told the Rajya Sabha ‘On 20 December, same order of authorisation was repeated that was existing since 2009. You are making a mountain where a molehill does not exist,”
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Calling it a Big Brother Syndrome, the opposition lashed out at the government saying that this is a violation of the right to privacy.
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Former Finance minister P Chidambaram said “Not studied the matter, but if anybody is going to monitor computers then it is an Orwellian state(a condition that George Orwell identified as destructive for a free society),”
While Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said “अबकी बार,निजता पर वार! Modi Govt mocks & flouts Fundamental ‘Right to Privacy’ with brazen impunity! Having lost elections,now Modi Govt wants to scan/snoop YOUR computers? ‘Big Brother Syndrome’ is truly embedded in NDA’s DNA! जनता की जासूसी=मोदी सरकार की निन्दनीय प्रवृत्ति!”.
AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi said “Modi has used a simple Government Order to permit our national agencies to snoop on our communications. Who knew that this is what they meant when they said ‘ghar ghar Modi’. George Orwell’s Big Brother is here & welcome to 1984.”
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