New Delhi, October 27
The Congress on Wednesday hailed the Supreme Court order of probe into Pegasus spyware issue saying it would still raise the issue in Parliament to hold the government accountable for key questions the snooping row has raised.
Rahul Gandhi.
Addressing the press today, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi termed Pegasus an illegal tool to attack Indian democracy and the idea of India, saying, “It is a big step that the SC had said it will look into the matter.
We are confident we will get the truth in the matter.”
Gandhi, however, said the issue would resonate in Parliament in the upcoming session as these are many questions awaiting answers and the opposition would want the government to have a debate on the issue.
“Pegasus is an attack on the democratic structure of the country, the constitution. We had jointly stormed parliament on the issue. We will raise the issue in Parliament and our three basic questions are —
who authorised the use of Pegasus, a weapon; who were its victims and whether the data of Indians is lying with some other country,” asked Rahul.
He said the Pegasus spyware use could have only been authorised by the prime minister or the home minister and it was used to “attack the conversations and vibrancy of Indian democracy and to control people”.
The muted opposition you see is due to this, Gandhi said, adding that if the PM used Pegasus as a personal tool to get information on opposition leaders, chief ministers and the CEC, it would mean a criminal act.
“We will pursue this issue. The PM is not above the nation or institutions.” Gandhi also said the government attacked national security using Pegasus spyware and it was ironic they raised the national security bogey to evade SC queries in the matter as the SC also noted today.
The Congress leader also said since the matter was before the apex court, the party would not press for a JPC probe.
