Modi govt hijacked democracy, deceived Parliament, duped SC: Opposition on Pegasus row

They alleged that the government used taxpayers' money to spy on dissidents, misled Supreme Court

With the New York Times reporting that India bought the controversial Israeli spyware Pegasus, the Opposition on Saturday mounted an attack on Narendra Modi government with the Congress calling it a "brazen hijack of democracy" and "act of treason", besides claiming that they "duped the Parliament and misled the Supreme Court".

Not just the Opposition, the Modi government also came under the radar of BJP Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy who said the NYT report implied that the government misled the Supreme Court and Parliament and asked whether it was another 'Watergate' scandal.

Also Read — Pegasus spyware and missile system 'centrepieces' of $2-billion deal between India and Israel: Report

"Modi government must rebut New York Times revelations today that It did indeed subscribe by payment from tax payers money of ₹ 300 crores to spyware Pegasus sold by Israeli NSO company. This implies prima facie our Govt misled the Supreme Court and Parliament. Watergate?" Swamy said.

Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged that the Modi government bought Pegasus to spy on the primary democratic institutions, politicians and public. "Government functionaries, Opposition leaders, armed forces, judiciary all were targeted by these phone tappings. This is treason. Modi government has committed treason," he tweeted.

Trinamool Congress termed it state-sponsored surveillance and said the BJP government was blatantly abusing the rights of Indians. “PM Narendra Modi’s little secret is out in the open after reports show that the Pegasus Spyware was the centrepiece in the USD 2 billion deal with Israel in 2017. SHAME!” Trinamool tweeted.

CPI(M) General Secretary Sitaram Yechury said Pegasus has been procured on public money to destroy India's democracy. "Spying on the Election Commission, political leaders, Supreme Court and Officers conducting sensitive investigations is a serious subversion of democracy. Unacceptable. This government must go," he tweeted.

Yechury also said that the government should explain in an affidavit why it bought this cyber weapon, who gave the permission for its usage, how were the targets selected and who got these reports.

The NYT claimed in its report that the Indian government bought the Pegasus spyware in 2017 as part of a deal with Israel, alleging that the government indulged in illegal snooping using the spyware which amounts to "treason". It also said the Israeli spyware Pegasus and a missile system were the "centrepieces" of a roughly $ 2-billion deal of sophisticated weapons and intelligence gear between India and Israel in 2017.

Addressing a press conference, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that it is now clear that the Modi government led by the Prime Minister himself "purchased the software, duped the Parliament, misled the Supreme Court, used public money to spy and snoop upon its own people, hijacked democracy in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha polls and committed treason".

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge asked why the Modi government acted like the enemies of the country and used a warfare weapon against Indian citizens.

Surjewala claimed that the "shocking new expose" has now confirmed what the Congress has long asserted that Modi government is the "deployer and executor of the illegal and unconstitutional snooping and spying racket through Israeli surveillance spyware Pegasus and the Prime Minister is himself involved."

Referring to Information and Technology Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw telling the Parliament that the reports of India’s Pegasus use as “baseless” and “highly sensational”, he said the government has "duped" the Parliament. He also cited responses to questions denying the purchase of Pegasus.

He alleged that the Modi government misled the Supreme Court by claiming in an affidavit that the government “unequivocally deny any and all of the allegations made against the (Government)”.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge asked why the Modi government acted like the enemies of the country and used a warfare weapon against Indian citizens.

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