The Pegasus report created a storm on the first day of the monsoon session of Parliament as several opposition leaders surrounded the government over it. He said that spyware is being used to spy on journalists and politicians in the country.
Opposition leaders targeted the central government over the alleged illegal use of spyware and demanded an inquiry into the role of the prime minister, home minister and top officials. Congress raised six questions on Pegasus issue in Lok Sabha session.
Opposition leaders asked whether spying on India’s security forces, judiciary, cabinet ministers, opposition leaders, journalists and activists through spyware from a foreign body was not “treason” and an unpardonable violation of national security.
Read also: Rahul Gandhi, Prashant Kishor, 2 Union ministers targeted by Pegasus: Report
He asked why the Narendra Modi government was spying on its citizens and political leaders before, during and after the 2019 Lok Sabha elections.
in connection with the purchase of Pegasus spywareOpposition leaders sought answers as to who authorized the purchase of software from the Israeli company and how many crores were spent on it. He also sought to know who authorized the deployment of spyware in the country.
The leaders asked if the central government was aware of the illegal procurement and deployment of ‘Pegasus’ spyware from April-May, 2019, why it chose to remain silent on the issue.
Read also: We know what he is reading: Rahul Gandhi on Pegasus row
Opposition leaders questioned whether Home Minister Amit Shah, who is in charge of the country’s internal security, should not be sacked for using this illegal spyware.
Finally, the opposition asked whether the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and others in the Pegasus report needed a thorough investigation.
What is Pegasus Report?
Pegasus spyware, developed by Israeli cyber security firm NSO Group, is in the news because on 18 July a group of news organizations around the world published a report which claimed that several governments are using this spyware to spy on journalists, activists and other prominent media figures .
The report said that several prominent figures in India, including journalists and politicians, were under surveillance using Pegasus.
The report claimed that most of these prominent personalities were targeted between 2018 and 2019 before the Lok Sabha elections.
IT Minister said, there is no merit in the allegations
Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnav, however, said that there were reports claiming illegal surveillance using Pegasus spyware. Whose purpose is to defame Indian democracy. He said there was no merit in the allegations.
He questioned the timing of the publication of the report and said: “It cannot be a mere coincidence that this report was leaked by a portal on the eve of the monsoon session.”