Spain’s interior minister is facing mounting calls to resign after allegations he tried to smear his political rivals. <br /><br /> In leaked recordings released by the online news outlet Publico just days before Spain goes to the polls, Jorge Fernandez Diaz, and the head of Catalonia’s anti-fraud office appear to discuss ways to discredit the region’s pro-independence parties. <br /><br /> Diaz denies any wrong-doing, insisting the tapes have been edited and taken out of context. <br /><br /> “The only conspiracy here relates to who made the recording and who released it a few days before the election, in a biased way, by installments and out of context…That is the conspiracy,” Diaz said. <br /><br /> The taped conversation allegedly dates from 2014. <br /><br /> Several opposition leaders, have said the revelations should trigger the immediate resignation of Diaz. <br /><br /> The head of Spain’s anti-austerity party Podemos Pablo Iglesias, said: “It is very serious that he’s used his position to pursue political opponents, he should resign immediately, otherwise interim Prime Minister should remove him.”<br /><br /> Pedro Sanchez, the head of the Spanish Socialist Worker’s Party said: “The interior minister should offer his resignation today. He has not done so, so the interim Prime Minister, Mr. Rajoy, should dismiss him, also immediately.”<br /><br /> Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy has defended Diaz, claiming he should not go so close an election. <br /><br /> Polls show Rajoy’s centre-right Popular party, which has been in a caretaker role for the last six months, is on course to win Sunday’s ballot.<br />
