New Delhi: Launching a fierce attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, senior Congress leader P Chidambaram on Tuesday questioned PM’s silence on the allegations of snooping by government agencies using Pegasus software in India.
“If the defence ministry did not have any transaction with the NSO Group, which is at the centre of the Pegasus controversy, then only PM Modi could answer on behalf of all ministers and departments over the issue,” Chidambaram said.
NSO Group, an Israeli surveillance software company, has been under increasing attack following allegations that its Pegasus software was used for surveillance of phones of people in several countries, including India to spy on journalists, politicians and judges.
Replying to a question in parliament, minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt said that the defence ministry has not had any transaction with NSO Group Technologies.
The reaction has sparked a political row in the country as opposition leaders are blaming Modi-led BJP government for spying on them.
Chidambaram on his official Twitter account wrote, “MoD has ‘absolved’ itself of any deal with the NSO Group, Israel Assuming, MoD is correct, that takes out one Ministry/Department. What about the remaining half a dozen usual suspects? Only the PM can answer on behalf of ALL ministries/departments. Why is he silent?”
Earlier, it has come to fore that over 300 verified Indian mobile phone numbers, including that of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Union ministers Prahlad Singh Patel and at least 40 journalists, were on the list of potential targets for surveillance using Israeli firm NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware.
The Union government, however, refuted the opposition’s allegations in this matter.
Chidambaram questions PM’s silence on Pegasus row
