'Modi Govt has committed treason': Rahul Gandhi on report that India bought Pegasus as part of deal with Israel in 2017

The Congress leader alleged that the Modi government 'bought' Pegasus to spy on the primary 'institutions of our democracy, leaders and the public'.

File Photo (ANI)

New Delhi: Rahul Gandhi on Saturday (January 29, 2022) attacked the Centre over a report which claimed that the Indian government bought the Pegasus spy tool in 2017 as part of a deal with Israel and said that 'Modi Govt has committed treason'.

Slamming the Centre, the Congress leader alleged that the Narendra Modi government 'bought' Pegasus to spy on the primary 'institutions of our democracy, leaders and the public'.

"Modi Govt bought Pegasus to spy on our primary democratic institutions, politicians and public. Govt functionaries, opposition leaders, armed forces, judiciary all were targeted by these phone tappings. This is treason. Modi Govt has committed treason," he tweeted.

Modi Govt bought Pegasus to spy on our primary democratic institutions, politicians and public. Govt functionaries, opposition leaders, armed forces, judiciary all were targeted by these phone tappings. This is treason.

Modi Govt has committed treason.

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) January 29, 2022

According to the report in The New York Times, the Israeli spyware Pegasus and a missile system were the 'centerpieces' of a roughly USD 2-billion deal of sophisticated weapons and intelligence gear between India and Israel in 2017.

Addressing a press conference, the leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge and Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said that the Modi Government is the deployer and executor of the 'illegal and unconstitutional snooping and spying racket'. 

"This is a brazen 'Hijack of Democracy' & 'An Act of Treason'," Congress said in a press statement.

Shocking new expose in an international publication has now confirmed what we have long asserted

“Modi Govt the deployer & executor of illegal & unconstitutional snooping & spying racket through Israeli surveillance spyware Pegasus & PM Shri Modi is himself involved”

Statement- pic.twitter.com/hXjlgmNDBt

— Randeep Singh Surjewala (@rssurjewala) January 29, 2022

It is noteworthy that an international investigative consortium had claimed last year that many people including Indian ministers, politicians, activists, businessmen and journalists were potentially targeted by the NSO Group's phone hacking software.

The government, however, had denied all allegations made against it in the matter. 

Subsequently, the Supreme Court had set up a three-member independent expert panel to probe the alleged use of Pegasus for targeted surveillance in India.