The unravelling Pegasus scandal involving the alleged use of spyware on elected representatives, journalists, activists and others exposes the “dubious and deplorable” actions of the central government led by the Bharatiya Janata Party, the Meghalaya Congress said today.
Party spokesperson Zenith Sangma expressed his shock over the news reports that have rocked the nation surrounding the alleged illegal and unconstitutional hacking of mobile phones of constitutional functionaries, Union cabinet ministers, present and former heads of the security forces, leaders of the opposition, journalists, lawyers and activists.
According to him, snooping is unconstitutional and violates fundamental rights, including the right to privacy.
Demanding a judicial probe monitored by the Supreme Court, the Congress MLA said, “The Pegasus spyware and all NSO (the company in Israel that provided it) products are exclusively sold to governments only. It is thus clear that the government of India and its agencies bought the spyware to hack the phones of opposition leaders, journalists, lawyers and activists.”
Zenith also pointed out that the Congress will hold a nationwide protest regarding the matter tomorrow.
He could not say whether anyone in Meghalaya was a victim of the spyware, as the full list of targets has not been released. But Zenith also said that when this kind of modus operandi is used, one can assume that prominent leaders from any state in the country could be targeted.
