 | « Back to article | Print this article |
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah used the Pegasus spyware against India, its institutions and its democracy, and 'the only word for this is treason', Congress leader Rahul Gandhi alleged on Friday.
He also said that every phone he uses is tapped.
The former Congress president demanded a Supreme Court monitored probe into the matter and also the home minister's resignation.
"Pegasus is classified by the Israeli state as a weapon and that weapon is supposed to be used against terrorists. The prime minister and the home minister have used this weapon against the Indian state and our institutions. They have used it politically, they have used it in Karnataka..," Gandhi told reporters.
"The only word for this is treason...," he said.
The matter has to be investigated as Pegasus has been used against India's institutions and its democracy, the former Congress president said while addressing the media at Vijay Chowk near Parliament.
"Pegasus was used against the Supreme Court, to scuttle the Rafale (fighter jet deal) investigation. Narendra Modi has used this weapon against our country and this can be described only as a treason.
"The home minister should resign and a judicial inquiry by the Supreme Court should be conducted on Narendra Modi, as no one else can authorise the use of Pegasus, only the prime minister and home minister can authorise its use," Gandhi said.
Gandhi, who also participated in a protest on the Pegasus issue with other Opposition leaders in Parliament complex, described himself as an 'open book' and said he is not intimidated.
He and his friends have been informed by intelligence people that this is being done, Gandhi said.
"Let me tell you, I get phone calls from IB people who tap my phone. They call me up and say please be aware we are tapping your phone.
"My security people tell me that they have to debrief what I say. They have to report to their seniors everything I say. So I am under no pretention that my phone is not tapped," Gandhi said.
Gandhi, who added that every single phone of his is tapped, said this has happened with him three-four times
Terming it an 'attack on the voice of the people', he added that it is not just a matter of 'Rahul Gandhi's privacy'.
On his phone being in the potential list, he said, "It is not a potential target, my phone is tapped. It is clearly tapped. So it is not a potential target."
"If you are corrupt then you will fear Modi, but if you are not corrupt, you will not fear Modi, you tend to laugh," he declared.
According to Gandhi, Pegasus cannot be bought by just anyone. It cannot be sold to the military of the country, it can be sold only to the government of a country, he noted.
"It is sold from government to government, much like Mr Modi says Rafale deal was a government to government deal, but Mr Anil Ambani is sitting in the meeting," he alleged.
Gandhi also brought up the Rafale deal, reiterating his allegation that there was 'gross theft'.
The government has dismissed his allegations as baseless.
"None of you people supported me. This is the truth. But the truth has a way of coming out. There is an inquiry in France and you will see the prime minister himself is responsible for corruption in Rafale. You'll see it," he claimed.
He said one cannot buy everyone or suppress everyone.
Discussing the farmers' protest, Gandhi said, "Our stand is very clear, the laws should be withdrawn. The issue is to withdraw the farm laws."
Responding to Gandhi's allegations, the BJP dared him to submit his phone for investigation if he believes it was tapped.
Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Rajyavardha Singh Rathore also asserted that no one's phone has been tapped illegally by the Modi government.