Phone tapping not restricted to Modi govt only; other govts also did it in past: HD Kumaraswamy

Former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy claimed that surveillance mechanisms are not new and have been in place for 10-15 years now. He further claimed that phone tapping is not restricted to the Modi government only, several governments and the Income Tax Department have done it in the past too.

Bengaluru: Amid the political furore over the Pegasus Spyware row, former Karnataka Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy, whose deputy and personal secretary were possible targets when his alliance government with the Congress was on the brink of collapse, said that such surveillance mechanisms are not new and have been in place for 10-15 years now.

Speaking to the media, he said that several governments and the Income Tax Department have tapped phones in the past as well and this is not restricted to the Modi government only. He also went on to say that neither he takes this seriously nor has he any kind of fear as he did not do anything thing wrong when the phone was tapped during his tenure as the Chief Minister. He also asked all the parties to tackle the Covid situation instead of indulging in activities that are not of public interest.

It may be mentioned here that on Tuesday, the media reported that the key political players in Karnataka, including the then deputy chief minister G Parameshwara and the personal secretaries of then Chief Minister HD Kumaraswamy and former Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, may have been potential targets of surveillance by the Pegasus spyware in the run-up to the collapse of the Congress-JD(S) alliance government in 2019.