West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has claimed that the Israeli Pegasus spyware was offered to the West Bengal Police for Rs 25 crore. Banerjee claims that four-five years ago this software was offered to the state police but she turned down the offer.
Addressing a press conference at the ‘Nabanna’ state secretariat, Mamata Banerjee said she had turned down the offer due to fears of spyware being misused against politicians, judges and officials. Banerjee said, “The NSO group came to our police department four to five years ago to sell Pegasus spyware. 25 crore was demanded for this.
Mamta Banerjee said, “However, I had turned down the offer as there was a possibility of it being misused politically. Which is not acceptable.” Let us tell you that Mamata Banerjee has been continuously targeting the Modi government for monitoring the phones of journalists, politicians, businessmen and others through Israeli spyware. She is demanding an all-party meeting on the issue.
He said that it is a different matter whether this spyware is used against traitors or to strengthen the security of the nation. But it should not be used for political gains. It should not be used against judges and officers.
Responding to the BJP leaders, Mamta Banerjee said that the BJP government has killed democracy by spying on the opposition leaders. He said that my own spying is being done. He alleged that the BJP was also curbing the freedom of speech of the people.
A global consortium of media groups revealed in July 2021 that spyware was used by several governments around the world to spy on political opponents, journalists, businessmen, etc. According to a report by The Wire, the names of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, political strategist Prashant Kishor, then Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa, now Information and Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnav were on the list of possible surveillance.