Date:07/01/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/01/07/stories/2006010718421400.htm

National

"No PMO official involved in phone tapping"

NEW DELHI: The Prime Minister's Office (PMO) on Friday night said none of its officials was involved in the tapping of phones of Samajwadi Party leaders.

The allegations levelled by Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh were ``utterly baseless and mischievous,'' Sanjaya Baru, Media Adviser to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said. ``No official in the PMO is involved in any way in the phone tapping episode.''

Earlier in the day, Mr. Amar Singh alleged at a press conference here that the phone tapping plan was executed by AICC general secretary Ambika Soni, the former aide of Sonia Gandhi, Pulak Chaterjee, Principal Secretary (Home), Delhi Government, R. Narayanswami, a journalist MP and several others associated with 10 Janpath. — PTI