escribing the Pegasus spyware controversy as a “motivated campaign of Opposition parties” , the BJP on Thursday claimed that it was aimed at tarnishing the image of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Attacking those who saw a government hand in the alleged spying , senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad on Thursday said soon after the Supreme court’s ruling on the issue that Opposition parties, so called intellectuals, some NGOs and a section of media had run a sustained campaign against the Government.
A bench, headed by Chief Justice N V Ramana, said that the panel also found some kind of malware in five mobile phones out of the 29 examined but also that the Centre did not cooperate. Addressing a press conference, Prasad said the expert committee “neither found any Pegasus nor proof of spying”. Those who created a “storm” over the issue had “suspected that 29 mobile phones had Pegasus“, he said. Prasad wondered if Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and his party will apologise after the verdict.
He alleged that the Congress has so much animosity against Modi and his government that it resorts to falsehood to expand the party but ends up shrinking further after its lies are exposed.
He cited the Congress campaign against the government over the issue of Rafale aircraft purchase and the Central Vista project and noted that the Supreme Court found no irregularities in them too.
"It is not in Rahul Gandhi's nature to apologise. What happened when he ran the 'Chowkidar...' campaign? I can't even utter what he said. Our politics is not low-level politics," Prasad said. The BJP leader referred to the 'Chewing gum' gate of 2011 and said the Congress has no authority to preach to BJP on snooping.
"I am very sorry to refer to former finance minister Pranab Mukerjee, whose office was bugged by Congress. It was known as the chewing gum gate. Remember?" , said the BJP leader.