The Congress on Saturday launched an all-out attack on the government, accusing it of betraying Parliament, betraying the Supreme Court, hijacking democracy and engaging in sedition after a media report claimed that India struck a defense deal. Bought Pegasus spyware from Israel as part of . 2017.
Congress He said he intends to raise the issue in the budget session starting next week, and sought accountability. Prime Minister Narendra Modi And this BJP Government on the table of Parliament
The principal opposition party also urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognizance of the matter and initiate appropriate punitive proceedings against the government for attempts to “deliberately and willfully deceive”.
Congress has made its intention clear, whose shadow Pegasus The issue again cropped up in the 2022 budget session as the entire monsoon session of 2021 was washed away after the opposition jointly stalled proceedings on the issue.
According to a report in The New York Times, the Israeli spyware Pegasus and a missile system were “centerpieces” in a nearly $2 billion (about Rs 15,000 crore) deal between India and Israel for sophisticated weapons and intelligence equipment in 2017.
former president of congress Rahul Gandhi Accused the government of treason by allegedly “tapping” the phones of opposition leaders, the armed forces and the judiciary using Pegasus spyware.
Gandhi said on Twitter, “The Modi government bought Pegasus to spy on our primary democratic institutions, politicians and the public. Government officials, opposition leaders, armed forces, judiciary have all been targeted by these phone tapping. This is sedition.” “
“The Modi government has committed sedition,” he alleged.
Addressing a press conference here on the matter, Congress general secretary and chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala accused the Modi government of “betraying” the Parliament and “betraying” the Supreme Court.
He said that the BJP machinery is engaged in a grand strategy to “betray” the people of the country as it is now clear that the Prime Minister Modi-led government has bought “illegal and unconstitutional” spyware from Israel and against the opposition leaders. used it. Judiciary, media and even its own officials.
He alleged that the government used public money to illegally buy cyber equipment and spy on its own people, and thus “hijacked” democracy. He alleged that before the 2019 Lok Sabha elections, he committed an act of sedition.
Surjewala said, “It is now quite clear that the Modi government has betrayed the Parliament, the Supreme Court has also been betrayed and the Modi government and its ministers lied to the people of India.” The responsibility of the Prime Minister and his responsibility are now in direct question.
“We will demand accountability from the Prime Minister on the floor of Parliament, as well as from the government in the people’s court,” he said.
“We would urge the Supreme Court to take suo moto cognizance now and issue appropriate punitive proceedings against this government for willfully and willfully attempting to defraud the Supreme Court,” Surjewala said.
He alleged, “This is sedition, this is a hijacking of democracy and this is a systematic deception and an attack on the fundamental rights of privacy and eroding national security, given that this government has illegally and unconstitutionally killed all.” There was espionage,” he alleged.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, who joined him at the press conference, said that while the government was “not prepared to discuss the issue of Pegasus on our demand (during the monsoon session of Parliament last year), indicating That they wanted to hide something from the people of the country.” He alleged that the money belongs to the public but these people are using it to spy on those who are opposing them.
Kharge said that if the government is doing this for the security of the country, it is fine, but “they are using it against opposition leaders, ministers and government officials, the judiciary and the media.”
“He lied in Parliament,” he alleged.
“If the government has the guts, it should file a defamation suit against the New York Times, which has published reports saying the government has bought spyware. The truth is now out,” Kharge said.
When asked whether they would again demand a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe, the LoP said, “We will see what kind of investigation is needed, we will discuss. We have raised this issue before, and we will discuss this.” Will now raise the issue in Parliament.
Surjewala had earlier alleged that the defense budget of the National Security Council Secretariat (NSCS) for reporting to the NSA increased from Rs 33 crore in 2017-18 to Rs 333 crore.
He said that following the report, it is now clear that the Modi government received Pegasus spyware and other military technology in 2017 from Israel during PM Modi’s visit to Israel for a package including “about $2 billion worth of weapons and intelligence gear”. Bought as the centerpiece”.
“The Modi government is the operator and executor of illegal and unconstitutional espionage and espionage rackets through the Israeli surveillance spyware Pegasus and Prime Minister Narendra Modi himself is involved in this,” he said.
“This is an open abduction of democracy and an act of sedition,” the Congress leader alleged.
When the opposition was there, the government had denied all the allegations.
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