It’s a cover-up, Centre’s probe is Operation Hogwash: Amar

Samajwadi Party (SP) general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh dismissed outright the Centre’s submission that his phone was tapp...

Samajwadi Party (SP) general secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh dismissed outright the Centre’s submission that his phone was tapped by a private party and not by any political party or politician. ‘‘I have been saying from day one that the police investigation is Operation Hogwash, because the agencies have done everything to cover up the tapping scam. This is why UP CM Mulayam Singh Yadav and myself demanded an impartial probe from non-Congress chief ministers, but of course it was not heeded,’’ Singh said at a press conference in the Capital.

He was backed, this time, by Akali Dal leader Parkash Singh Badal who said his phone had been tapped too. Mulayam Singh Yadav, who was also present, announced a parallel probe: ‘‘We will run a parallel investigation with the help of the STF…if the situation continues like this, we may even consider reviewing our support to the Centre.’’

Speaking exclusively to The Sunday Express, Amar Singh dismissed reports of a potential rift in the party and attempts by senior party leaders to isolate him. Two days ago, for the first time, party vice-president, parliamnetarian and ideologue Jnaneshwar Mishra had hit out at Singh, saying the names of Sonia Gandhi and the PM should not have been dragged in without evidence.

Story continues below this ad

‘‘Mulayam Singh and I met Mishraji a day before his press conference as we do nothing without consulting him…He always told me that in a crisis, never lose your cool. There he was right, because I did upset the Prime Minister by dragging in names of people in his office (MK Narayanan and Pulok Chatterjee) who I said were working at the behest of Sonia Gandhi.’’

On the content of the tapes, the SP general secretary said the conversations were hardly of national interest. ‘‘If my conversations with my female friends is not a matter of national security, why should anybody have the right to breach my privacy?’’ Singh said. ‘‘Let a judge release the tapes after verifying its authenticity. I am not afraid.’’