(Image source from: US spied on BJP: Snowden papers})

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was covertly spied on by US, according to former NSA contractor-turned whistleblower Edward Snowden. In 2010, the National Security Agency was given permission by a US court to covertly spy on the BJP.

Reports from the leaked document reveal that the BJP was one of the six non-US political parties in the world that got approval for spying by NSA, according to the Washington Post.

NSA had sought permission from America's Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court to carry out covert spying on the BJP along with other outfits like the Pakistan People's Party and Egypt's Muslim Brotherhood .

The list includes 193 foreign governments and other entities that the US court granted permission to the NSA "for the purpose of gathering foreign intelligence." India also figures in the NSA list.

The top-secret documents reveal that all foreign governments, except four countries, can be intercepted for information by the NSA after the authorisation.

Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand have been exempted from surveillance.

Besides, the World Bank, International Monetary Fund, the European Union and the International Atomic Energy Agency is off-limits for the NSA.

Reports suggest that all the countries or organizations identified are not necessarily the target of the NSA. It's only an authority extended to the NSA to do so if the need arises.

NSA spokesperson Vanee Vines told PTI that the NSA collects information on foreign intelligence only to meet specific intelligence requirements set by the President, the Director of National Intelligence, and departments and agencies through the National Intelligence Priorities Framework.

Whistleblower Snowden, who was working with US intelligence on contract, had leaked thousands of classified documents to the media. He blew the whistle over the global snooping by US agencies, which had triggered a outrage all over the world.

(Picture Source: msn.com)

(AW: Pratima Tigga)