The Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Friday claimed that the order to monitor computers exists since 2009, after Opposition parties led by the Congress joined hands on to oppose the government's move to authorise 10 Central agencies to intercept "any information" on computers.

Responding to Congress leader Anand Sharma over MHA order, Jaitley said, on December 20, same order of authorisation was repeated that was existing since 2009.

"You are making a mountain where a molehill does not exist," said the Union Minister.

The order authorises 10 Central agencies such as the Intelligence Bureau, Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate to intercept, monitor, and decrypt any information generated, transmitted, received or stored in any computer.

The agencies are the Intelligence Bureau, Narcotics Control Bureau, Enforcement Directorate, Central Board of Direct Taxes, Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, Central Bureau of Investigation, National Investigation Agency, Cabinet Secretariat (R&AW), Directorate of Signal Intelligence (For service areas of Jammu & Kashmir, North-East and Assam only) and Commissioner of Police, Delhi.

The parties, including the CPI(M), the Samajwadi Party, the Rashtriya Janata Dal and the Trinamool Congress, said they will collectively oppose the Union Home Ministry's order issued late night on Thursday.

The BJP government, opposition leaders said, was converting the country into a surveillance state.

"From Modi Sarkar to stalker sarkar, clearly the string of losses has left the BJP government desperate for information," the Congress said on its official Twitter handle.

Several Congress leaders spoke out against the order.

The BJP government is converting India into a surveillance state through the order, former Union minister Anand Sharma said with other opposition leaders by his side.

"It is the ultimate assault on fundamental rights and the right to privacy. It is also in direct conflict with the Supreme Court judgement that right to privacy is a fundamental right. The government has done it by strength we collectively oppose it," Sharma told reporters.

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury voiced his opposition on Twitter. "Why is every Indian being treated like a criminal? This order by a govt wanting to snoop on every citizen is unconstitutional and in breach of the telephone tapping guidelines, the Privacy Judgement and the Aadhaar judgement," he said.

Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal also tweeted his opposition to the MHA order and said India has come under undeclared emergency.

"India has been under undeclared emergency since May 2014, now in its last couple of months Modi govt is crossing all limits by seeking control of even the citizens computers. Can such curtailment of fundamental rights be tolerated in world's largest democracy?" he asked.