Haryana Congress workers and leaders on Thursday staged a protest march here against the alleged illegal use of Pegasus spyware on politicians, journalists and others.
The protest was led by party affairs in-charge Vivek Bansal and Haryana Pradesh Congress Committee president Kumari Selja, who alleged that Bharatiya Janata Party-led Central government should come clean on the spying charges by using Israeli spyware Pegasus. Congress members marched from the party office towards the Haryana Raj Bhavan here. They were, however, stopped by the police ahead of the Governor House.
Mr. Bansal said that the snooping case had not only tarnished the image of India but has also violated the right to privacy, which is not a good sign for democracy. “The democracy, which the Congress party strengthened over the years is now facing many challenges. Democracy is being weakened by the Bharatiya Janata Party,” he said.
Ms. Selja said that the Congress party wanted a fair investigation by the Supreme Court or by a Joint Parliamentary Committee in this matter. “Also, we want the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah, so that the investigation is not obstructed and the truth is exposed in front of the people of the country,” she said.
She alleged the spyware Pegasus was used in the 2019 Lok Sabha elections to hack cell phones and topple elected governments. “Pegasus spyware and all NSO (maker of Pegasus) products are exclusively sold to the government only, so it is clear that the Indian government and its agencies bought this spyware to hack the phones of Opposition leaders, journalists, lawyers and activists. The fundamental rights of the citizens of the country are being violated by the Modi government by strangling the Constitution and the law,” she alleged.
