Opposition furious after 'Big Brother' Centre authorises its agencies to access information on any computer

The Ministry of Home Affairs has given ten central agencies the power to intercept and monitor information on computer devices. This means the agencies can access any private computer in the country.

An order passed on Thursday by the MHA gives the central bodies the powers of  "interception, monitoring and decryption of any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer".

Through the order, these agencies will be allowed access into private computers - Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, CBI, National Investigation Agency, Cabinet Secretariat (R&AW), Directorate of Signal Intelligence (in Jammu and Kashmir, North-East and Assam only) and the Delhi Police Commissioner.

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The parties in Opposition have called it Modi government's 'Big Brother' moment'. Here is how they reacted:

Congress' Anand Sharma reacted to the passing of the order saying, "This is a danger to the democracy. India has become a surveillance state. The MHA order is not acceptable in a democracy." 

Congress leader Randeep Surjewala said that the Centre has flouted 'Right To Privacy' with brazen impunity

Former UPA minister P Chidamabaram has also spoken about the order and called it 'Orwellian' referring to George Orwell's novels in which the authorities have a totalitarian rule over the people.

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Congress' Ahmed Patel also tweeted saying:

AIMIM's Asaduddin Owaisi mocked the BJP's 'Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi' slogan and said now he knows the meaning of 'Ghar Ghar Modi' 

TMC's Derek O'Brien tweeted his followers to be cautious of the order.

Omar Abdullah also hit out at the government over the MHA order

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