Congress targets Centre over Pegasus case
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2024-12-22 15:35 GMT
New Delhi: The Congress on Sunday criticised the government over the recent US court ruling on Pegasus spyware, which revealed that 300 out of 1,400 targeted WhatsApp numbers belonged to Indians. Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala called for the Supreme Court of India to reopen the Pegasus case and conduct a fresh inquiry based on the US judgment.
The US court held Israel's NSO Group liable for violating state and federal hacking laws and WhatsApp's terms of service. WhatsApp welcomed the ruling, stating it sends a clear message to spyware companies about accountability for illegal activities targeting journalists, activists, and civil society.
In 2022, India's Supreme Court formed a technical panel to investigate allegations of snooping using Pegasus spyware. While Pegasus was not detected in the examined phones, malware was found in five devices.
Surjewala demanded the government disclose the identities of the 300 Indians targeted, including two Union ministers, three Opposition leaders, and other key figures. He also questioned how the information gathered was used or misused and whether criminal cases would be filed against the officials involved.
Additionally, he urged the Supreme Court to release the technical committee's findings and ask Meta to provide the list of targeted Indian numbers to ensure justice. He also called on Facebook and WhatsApp to fulfil their duty of care by disclosing the targeted names.