Was BJP Govt spying on citizens, political leaders ahead of 2019 elections, asks Congress

Stepping up its attack on the government over the WhatsApp spyware case, the Congress on Sunday asked if the Narendra Modi dispensation spied on citizens and political leaders ahead of the 2019 parliamentary election. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asked whether those sitting in the echelons of power are guilty of criminal offenses and whether the government knew of the illegal spyware being deployed to spy on key persons.

"Shocking facts in #WhatsAppSpygate - Was BJP Government spying on citizens and political leaders in the run-up to 2019 elections," he asked. "Did Government know of the illegal spyware since May 2019? Are those sitting in echelons of power guilty of criminal offenses," Surjewala asked?

WhatsApp had informed the Indian government in September that 121 Indian users were targeted by the Israeli spyware Pegasus, but IT ministry has contended that the information received from the messaging app earlier was inadequate and incomplete, according to sources. Sources at WhatsApp said the messaging platform has now responded to the government's last week's query seeking an explanation on the Pegasus spyware incident that allegedly snooped on journalists and human rights activists across the world, including India.

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