Pegasus scandal: So far only two people have given calls to the inquiry committee, the opposition running away by accusing?
The opposition and many other groups are creating a huge stir in the country regarding this espionage case, but they are not coming forward to help in the high-level investigation.
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So far, just two people have submitted their mobile phones to a Supreme Court committee investigating the alleged spying of politicians, journalists, and activists by the government through the Pegasus spyware of the Israeli company NSO. The committee has asked the people to deliver the mobile by February 8 for investigation. Those making noise about espionage seem to shy away from investigating it. I wonder whether the opposition is also running away by making allegations?
Despite the opposition’s and many other organizations’ ruckus about this alleged espionage case, they are not helping the high level investigation. To investigate complaints, the inquiry committee needs mobile phones. The deadline for submitting mobile phones was earlier on January 7. So far, only two people have handed over their phones to the committee for investigation, and the deadline has been extended until February 8.
To investigate the matter, the Supreme Court has appointed a three-member committee. The committee says it has found only two devices (mobile phones, etc.) for investigation so far. The committee has given people until February 8 to turn over their phones for investigation. The inquiry committee published a public notice on February 3 asking people to hand over their mobile phones.
A group of journalists based in France leaked a list of 50,000 phone numbers last year. Pegasus spyware of the Israeli company NSO monitored these numbers from around the world. It is also reported to have the names of some people from India. The opposition and other organizations made a lot of noise about this. Another report from the past claimed that the Indian government had also purchased this spyware. The government denied this and said that the matter is being investigated by the Supreme Court committee.
As part of the investigative committee are Naveen Kumar Choudhary, dean of the Gandhinagar-based University of Forensic Sciences, Prabhaharan P, professor at Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetha, Kerala, and Ashwin Anil Gumaste, president and associate professor of the institute at IIT Bombay.
IT Minister Vaishnav had said that India was being defamed
In the wake of the Pegasus case, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnav denied in Parliament that the central government had hacked and spied on the phones of journalists, social workers, opposition leaders, and ministers. Pegasus spyware was used. Vaishnav called the espionage case a conspiracy to slander Indian democracy and constitutional institutions.