The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre on a petition seeking to make public entire text of the “Radia tapes” recorded by the Income-Tax department’s investigation wing in the public interest as a portion of it had revealed how the government decisions were sought to be affected by corporate lobby.
A bench, headed by Justice G.S. Singhvi already seized of all Radia tapes related matters, including a petition by top industrialist Rattan Tata, directed the Union government to file its affidavit by February 2 the next date fixed for hearing of Tata’s petition.
A public interest litigation moved by NGO, Centre for PILs, which had filed the main petition in the 2G scam case, sought a direction to the government to make the entire 5,800 hours recorded transcript of corporate lobbyist Niira Radia public.
Advocate Prashant Bhushan, in the PIL drew court’s attention to the fact that the so far published version of her telephonic conversations with politicians, corporate tycoons, journalists and others had revealed how the decision of the government and even the formation of UPA-II ministry was sought to be “influenced” by outside forces.
In the wake of the revelations made so far it has become imperative to disclose the remaining text of her conversations in the “larger public interest” as it might further reveal various other aspects of “corruption” which had gone deep into the country’s system of governance, the PIL stated.
On the other hand, Tata in his petition had sought a direction to the government not to allow any disclosure related to his private conversation with Ms Radia, which has nothing to do with the government or its decisions.
The top industrialist had claimed protection of his fundamental right of “privacy” while questioning the right of media to discuss in public any matter, which was essentially private.