Pegasus spyware: Not bothered about Secy phone being tapped, says Kumaraswamy

Downplaying reports that his secretary was a possible target for surveillance using the Pegasus spyware, when he was the Chief Minister of Karnataka two years ago, JDS leader H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday said that he is not bothered about it.Im not bothered about all those things, because several government agencies including the Income Tax department in recent days tap important phones..

Downplaying reports that his secretary was a possible target for surveillance using the Pegasus spyware, when he was the Chief Minister of Karnataka two years ago, JD(S) leader H D Kumaraswamy on Tuesday said that he is not bothered about it.

''I'm not bothered about all those things, because several government agencies including the Income Tax department in recent days tap important phones.. these things are happening for the last 10-15 years in a routine way,'' Kumaraswamy said.

Speaking to reporters here, he said it is not happening only after Narendra Modi became the Prime Minister, previously also it used to happen.

''It is not a new thing according to me. I'm not bothered about the tapping of my PS phone when I was the Chief Minister, because I have not done any wrong activities..

it has been happening and there is no need to take it seriously,'' he added.

According to reports, along with Kumaraswamy's Secretary, the then Deputy Chief Minister G Parameshwara and the secretary of former CM and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah, are among the potential names whose numbers were allegedly targeted using the Pegasus spyware.

Noting that there are several important issues other than Pegasus, like the problems faced by people due to COVID second wave that needs to be looked into on priority, Kumaraswamy requested political leaders both at the national and the state level to concentrate on giving relief to commonmen who are in distress.

To a query on the possibility of such snooping attempts playing a role in toppling of coalition government led by him, he said, ''Whether it is Congress or BJP while in power do such mischievous things to safeguard their government or to strengthen the party, these have been happening for the last 15-20 years, hence I'm not interested to discuss it.'' The Congress-JDS coalition government led by Kumaraswamy had collapsed on July 22, 2019 after facing a defeat in the trust vote on the floor of the assembly, thereby ending his 14-month long turbulent tenure.

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