Opposition seeks independent probe into Pegasus issue

The Opposition parties, including Congress, Samajwadi Party, CPI(M) and others, sought an independent investigation into the alleged use of Pegasus software for spying on Ministers, politicians and journalists and answers from the Central government.

The Congress party accused the government of bringing down elected governments in the country using Pegasus spyware and demanded a Supreme Court monitored independent probe into the entire issue. Addressing a joint press conference, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged the BJP and the Modi government have murdered democracy by misusing the spyware.

The CPI(M) took to twitter to attack the Central government. The party tweeted: “The Modi Govt is using Foreign Military grade spyware to hack into its own Journalists, Opposition Leaders and constitutional authorities. It is effectively waging a war on our Democracy and Constitution.”

Samajwadi Party’s Akhilesh Yadav said on Twitter that listening to people’s personal talk by spying on the phone was a gross violation of the “right to privacy”.

Meanwhile, there were stormy scenes in Lok Sabha on Tuesday where members of the Congress, Trinamool Congress and DMK raised slogans, showed placards over the alleged snooping controversy – there was an uproar over this in Rajya Sabha as well.

They demanded a probe by a Supreme Court judge into claims that the Pegasus spyware had been used to snoop on journalists, politicians, ministers, judges and others.