Spanish interior minister called to resign

Five days ahead of fresh general elections in Spain, leaders of the country's major political parties called for the resignation of Spain's Acting Minister for the Interior Jorge Fernandez Diaz.

The calls for Fernandez Diaz's resignation come 24 hours after the Spanish newspaper Publico published recordings of conversations the acting minister held in October 2014 with Daniel de Alfonso Laso, the chief of the Anti-Fraud Office in the Catalan Region.

In the conversation he asks Laso to dig for financial scandals against Catalan nationalist parties Republican Left and Convergencia, it was reported.

Fernandez Diaz is heard telling Laso that Spanish Acting Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy "knows" about his request and assures he is "discretion personified."

Rajoy on Tuesday denied any knowledge of the conversations, while Fernandez Diaz held a press conference to insist the release of the recordings was part of a "conspiracy" to harm the chances of the People's Party in the run in to the polls.

Socialist Party leader Pedro Sanchez demanded the minister's resignation, saying it was absolutely wrong to use the judiciary "for political aims."

Podemos leader Pablo Iglesias said Fernandez Diaz's actions were "sufficiently serious for there to be immediate resignations," adding that if the minister refused to resign he should be "sacked" by Rajoy.

Albert Rivera, the leader of center-right party Citizens, said: "Power should be used to guarantee freedoms, not to walk all over them," adding the minister's actions were "not appropriate." Endit