IB had permission to "snoop"

Arun Bhagat, Director, Intelligence Bureau, who held a series of meetings with the Speaker of the Lok Sabha, P A Sangma and Najma Heptullah, Deputy Chairperson of the Rajya Sabha, to explain the IB’s position, denied that the Intelligence personnel on duty in Parliament House had been deputed for gathering political intelligence.

The personnel, while effecting the duties delegated to them, also keep eyes peeled for any `crucial information’ and inevitably and justifiably pass it on to their seniors, the IB director contended.

Bhagat was at pains to explain the imperative of the tertiary role. He said that after assassination of sitting Prime Minister Indira Gandhi by her own security guards, the responsibility of IB’s security branch had risen to unprecedented levels. Consequently, he stressed, the Bureau had to track even the Special Protection Group guarding the Prime Minister and former Prime Ministers.

Bhagat drew attention to the fact that the entry of IB personnel in the premises of the Parliament House was effected by the initiative of Shivraj Patil, Speaker of the 10th Lok Sabha. The decision was taken subsequent to threats to many members and also in one instance to blow up the Parliament House itself.

On the basis of the former allowance, Bhagat informed, it was at the discretion of the presiding officers that IB men were incorpated in the security and surveillance team. Though, he maintained, no IB personnel had been posted specifically to gather political intelligence.

The issue was raised in the Parliament after The Indian Express disclosed last month that IB men are keeping tabs on the activities of MPs under the garb of normal security and surveillance.

It was clarified to the presiding officers that more than 200 MPs belonging to various political parties are in X, Y, Z, Plus Z and Super Z category and they come from almost all the states.

Therefore, Bhagat pointed out, it was not humanly possible for an average IB man to recognise the MPs under threat or visulise a threat to his life.The IB seeks the services of CID personnel belonging to the States during the Parliament session for the purpose.

Meanwhile, no final decision on the withdrawal of IB personnel has been taken so far as discussions ensue.