PIL filed in Supreme Court against Home Ministry's notification allowing 10 agencies to conduct surveillance

A PIL was filed on Monday in the Supreme Court challenging the government's notification authorising 10 central agencies to intercept, monitor and decrypt any computer system. The petition filed by advocate Manohar Lal Sharma seeks to quash of the government's December 20 notification.

On Friday the government authorised ten central security and investigating agencies to monitor and intercept all computers, a decision that came under severe attack from the Opposition which accused the government of creating a 'surveillance state'.

Strongly defending the action, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley rose to put up a strong defence of the government recalling that Thursday's order was only a repetition of a similar order issued under the rules framed during the UPA regime in 2009 to the Information and Technology Act enacted in 2000.

He said what was originally provided for in the Telegraph Act that applied to telephones was extended to computers under the IT Act with modernisation.

"Your government has used it in the past. Our governments have also used it. Every government has used it. The same agencies had the power earlier. In 2009 rules were framed which authorised the same agencies to intercept anybody who played with national security, public order and integrity of India."

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The Opposition, both inside and outside Parliament, slammed the government calling the decision an "undeclared Emergency" and an assault on the citizens' fundamental right to privacy and demanded its withdrawal. 

The issue rocked the Rajya Sabha which was adjourned with the opposition members protesting against the government and indulging in slogan shouting.