New Delhi:Communist Marxist Party of India (Marxist) leader and Rajya Sabha MP John Brittas said snooping of activists, politicians, journalists and Constitutional functionaries by the Israeli spyware Pegasus is a violation of fundamental rights while alleging that the government has not cared to investigate the issue. Brittas has approached the Supreme Court seeking a court-monitored probe by a Special Investigation Team (SIT) into reports of the government using Israeli software Pegasus to spy on politicians, activists, and journalists. The petition said that despite the very serious nature of the allegations, the government has not cared to investigate the issue.
"In such circumstances, the petitioner is constrained to approach the Supreme Court as the issue involves citizens' fundamental right to privacy and gross abuse of the state's surveillance powers," stated the plea. He said the Government needs to appraise the reasons for the interceptions made to the gadgets of its own ministers, staff, Constitutional authorities including Election Commissioners and judges, CBI officers, Supreme Court staffer, activists, scientists and journalists. Brittas said that the Pegasus spyware allegations give two inferences - it was done by the Indian Government or by a foreign agency.