By IANS,
Chennai : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi Tuesday ordered a judicial probe into the phone-tapping scandal exposed by the media and the opposition parties.
Karunanidhi indirectly admitted to the phone tapping, a day after denying the allegations and announcing an intention to prosecute the newspaper that published excerpts from a purported conversation between chief secretary L.K. Tripathy and additional director general of police S.K. Upadhyaya.
“Anyone can tap into anyone’s phone due to the advent of technology,” the chief minister said before announcing a probe by a retired judge of the Madras High Court.
“Even if we accept the (phone-tapping) allegations as true, there was nothing wrong in two officials discussing an official matter on phone about an ongoing case.”
PMK leader G.K. Mani welcomed the probe order but pointed out that the charge had been made several times by his party.
Deputy leader of opposition and former chief minister O. Panneerselvam raised the matter in the house.
Following a furore and denial of permission from Speaker Auvudaiyappan, legislators belonging to the AIADMK and MDMK walked out.
Two AIADMK legislators V.P. Kalairajan and T. Hari were suspended from the house for the rest of the session for alleged unruly behaviour.