Pegasus 
Pegasus 
GUWAHATI: The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) on Saturday has taken to the street demanding a Supreme Court-monitored judicial inquiry into the PEGASUS controversy and demanded Home Minister Amit Shah's resignation for violation of the Right to Privacy by 'spying illegally'.
APCC has submitted a memorandum regarding the same to Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi today at his official residence -Raj Bhavan.
"NSO has categorically stated that they have developed this spyware only for government use. They are not selling it to any private organisation or individual except for the government. They have sold it to 48 countries as of now and India has also purchased it. So it is clear that this PEGASUS spyware was used by the Narendra Modi Government against the opponent political leaders," said APCC President Ripun Bora.
Bora added further, "The purpose of PEGASUS was used by different countries just to know the activities of the foreign enemies. It was supposed to be used for that very purpose. But PM Narendra Modi and Home Minister have misused it to hack and tap the telephones of the opposition leaders and many journalists who oppose the BJP."
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On the other hand, Union IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, who himself was reportedly named to be in the list of PEGASUS targeted phone numbers, has claimed it to be "an attempt to malign the Indian democracy and its well-established institutions” just a day before the Monsoon Session of Parliament.
In response, Leader of Opposition (LoP) Debabrata Saikia, on Saturday said, "Amnesty International's Lab has independently verified that many phones of Indian origins were hacked or attempted to be hacked. The minister is lying. If he has said so in the parliament that Breach of Privilege should be brought against him."
The Nazira Congress MLA said, "This happened right after Modi visited Israel. Before toppling the Congress government in Karnataka, then Karnataka Congress Chief Minister's aides' devices are found to be hacked; so was the CBI director's phone; Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa's phone when he brought some charges of corrupt practices by the prime minister during the election campaign; so of former CJI Ranjan Gogoi's when he was accused of sexual offense; and our Congress leaders who are fighting for the restoration of democratic rights. It violates our fundamental right to privacy."
Phones of two serving union ministers, three opposition leaders, one constitutional authority, current and former heads of security organisations, administrators, and 40 senior journalists and activists from India were allegedly under the surveillance of Pegasus. Out of which, phones numbers of All Assam Students' Union (AASU) leader Samujjal Bhattacharya and pro-talks faction of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) leader Anup Chetia, were suspected to be infected with the PEGASUS as well.
"Since they have not submitted their phones for forensic test, we cannot confirm but yes their phone numbers are present in the list during the anti-CAA protest. I do not know how Assam CM can say it was for other purposes.
On the other hand, IT minister Vaishnaw has cited “India’s established protocol when it comes to surveillance” and said that no form of illegal surveillance is possible with the checks and balances in their laws and robust institutions.
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