Bihar CM and BJP Ally Nitish Kumar Joins Opposition Uproar and Demands Probe into Pegasus Row

Nitish Kumar demands probe into the Pegasus…get the details…

Tuesday, 3rd August 2021

Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar, also an ally of the Bharatiya Janata Party, on Monday voiced his demand for an investigation in the Pegasus snoop gate row.

The Chief Minister said, “A probe should be done, indeed. We have been hearing about telephone tapping for so many days, the matter should be discussed (in Parliament). People (Opposition) have been reiterating (for talks) for so many days, it should be done.”

With his demand for a probe into the matter, Nitish essentially joins the chorus of the Opposition parties who have united to protest against the alleged snooping that the Centre has been accused of with the help of Israeli spyware, Pegasus. The opposition parties have joined hands on the matter and have been demanding time and again for a discussion in both the Rajya Sabha and the Lok Sabha.

Also Read: BJP Legislator’s Remark On Shiv Sena Bhavan Fuels Verbal Combat Between the Parties

RJD MP Manoj Jha spoke on Nitish’s demand and said, “I will request him to stick to his demand. I hope he does not come under pressure and say that my statement was misinterpreted.”

The government of West Bengal also has been demanding a probe into the matter and ended up setting a two-member inquiry commission to investigate the Pegasus spyware row.

As per West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, the panel will probe the “illegal hacking, tracking and recording of mobile phones in West Bengal.”

Mamata also said that she was compelled to set up the body as the union government was being “reluctant” to conduct a probe into the Pegasus snooping row despite their continued demand.

The Pegasus row had erupted earlier last month after a report was released by a consortium of 17 media houses across the world. It soon amplified into a huge political controversy. It has put the Central government under immense pressure especially after the software vendor NSO said its clients are only vetted governments and their agencies.

Although the government has claimed that they have not engaged in any sort of illegal interception, they have stayed away from any discussion on the issue in either house.

The Supreme Court is expected to hear a series of petitions by senior journalists N Ram and Sashi Kumar, CPM MP John Brittas and advocate ML Sharma, on Thursday that seek special probes into the Pegasus scandal.

The News Talkie Bureau

Source:

NDTV