Phone tapping to ring into Parliament

A row over charges government agencies secretly tapped telephones of senior politicians is likely to paralyse Parliament on Monday, possibly spelling fresh delay for the budget and other key bills. The tension comes just as the government is seeking to secure its allies' support for a possible vote in parliament over high food prices. The government would fall if it loses the vote. The controversy is the latest blow for a coalition that was expected to capitalise on its re-election to promote policies to boost investment and ailing infrastructure as well as reform welfare and subsidies.
Instead, a slew of crises has distracted it, upstaging even routine parliamentary business like passing the budget and discussion on crucial reforms legislation. The phone tapping charge has united the opposition, which said it will demand a statement from the government on Monday. The government has still to officially react to the allegation, but officials in the prime minister's office said the matter was being looked into. The government already faced heavy protests over its handling of a worsening Maoist insurgency, while rising food prices and fuel price hikes had prompted the opposition demand for a special parliamentary vote. A probe into the popular multi-billion dollar cricket league has ensnared senior politicians and billionaire businessmen in a growing scandal also hurting an already weakened Congress-led government. Finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee cancelled a trip to Washington for an International Monetary fund meeting last week in order to firefight and muster support for the special vote.