'Shah, Modi trying to impose dictatorship', Congress sharpens attack over Pegasus

As the Pegasus snooping scandal snowballed into a political potboiler, the Congress party sharpened the attack on the BJP government demanding a Supreme Court-led investigation into the matter. It also alleged the central government of imposing dictatorship in the country.

New Delhi: The Congress party sharpened the attack on the BJP government after reports of linking Pegasus spyware and the collapse of the JDS-led Karnataka government in 2019 emerged on Tuesday. The Opposition also called for a Supreme Court-led investigation into the snooping row which has created ripples in the national political machinery in India. "Supreme Court should investigate this and the proceedings should be held in-camera," said Congress leader Kapil Sibal. He added that a white paper should be presented in the Parliament and demanded the government to clarify if Pegasus was "used or not."

"Home Minister says -- to understand chronology. I want to tell Amit Shah that you should understand the chronology as it (Pegasus) was used between 2017-2019. It's a national security threat to having leak this data to an agency that has nothing to do with India," added Kapil Sibal.

Referring to the alleged Pegasus snooping in Karnataka in 2019, Randeep Singh Surjewala, AICC General Secretary said: "Now it is clear that the BJP hijacked democracy in the name Operation Kamal."

Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the BJP has been using it trying to turn this into its favour in Maharashtra too. He added that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah are ready to destroy democratic institutions in the country. "(They) are trying to impose dictatorship in the country. The BJP could have spied in Goa, Manipur and Madhya Pradesh too," he added.

Karnataka Congress leader Siddaramiah, who's PA's phone was tapped, said, "It's a crime committed by the government of India and an enquiry is needed. I request Kharge ji and Adhir ji to raise this issue strongly in the Parliament and demand a high level enquiry in this matter."

Slamming the BJP government, AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said that it is shocking to know that snooping is done to topple the elected governments in the country. "This is very shocking. Former Prime Minister Deve Gowda's phone is also tapped. Simple question is that who is safe in this country? There is no privacy. Our Union govt can enter everybody's kitchen... even the bathroom...The govt can't run away from questions on this matter. There must be an impartial judicial enquiry under the supervision of SC. Our state units will march to the Raj Bhavan on Thursday demanding the probe, added Venugopal.

Meanwhile, Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury alleged the Modi government of turning the "loktantra into jasoositantra". He said that PM Modi along with Amit Shah has come up with a new "technique" in front of the country.