<p>Amid the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/how-much-does-pegasus-spyware-cost-to-operate-1014859.html" target="_blank">Pegasus snooping row</a>, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday asked why is it so difficult for the government of India to give a straight answer as to whether it is a client of the Israeli firm NSO Group that sells the surveillance spyware.</p>.<p>The former home minister said the NSO Group had 40 governments and 60 agencies as its clients.</p>.<p>"A simple question: was the government of India one of the forty? Why is it so difficult for the government of India to give a straight answer to that simple question?" Chidambaram said.</p>.<p>An international media consortium has reported that over 300 verified Indian mobile phone numbers were on a list of potential targets for surveillance using Israeli firm NSO's Pegasus spyware.</p>.<p>Opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, two union ministers -- Prahlad Singh Patel and Railways and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw -- businessman Anil Ambani, a former CBI chief, and at least 40 journalists are on the list on the leaked database of NSO. It is, however, not established that all the phones were hacked.</p>.<p>The government has been denying all Opposition allegations in the matter.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos:</strong></p>
<p>Amid the <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/how-much-does-pegasus-spyware-cost-to-operate-1014859.html" target="_blank">Pegasus snooping row</a>, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Monday asked why is it so difficult for the government of India to give a straight answer as to whether it is a client of the Israeli firm NSO Group that sells the surveillance spyware.</p>.<p>The former home minister said the NSO Group had 40 governments and 60 agencies as its clients.</p>.<p>"A simple question: was the government of India one of the forty? Why is it so difficult for the government of India to give a straight answer to that simple question?" Chidambaram said.</p>.<p>An international media consortium has reported that over 300 verified Indian mobile phone numbers were on a list of potential targets for surveillance using Israeli firm NSO's Pegasus spyware.</p>.<p>Opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, two union ministers -- Prahlad Singh Patel and Railways and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw -- businessman Anil Ambani, a former CBI chief, and at least 40 journalists are on the list on the leaked database of NSO. It is, however, not established that all the phones were hacked.</p>.<p>The government has been denying all Opposition allegations in the matter.</p>.<p><strong>Check out DH's latest videos:</strong></p>