New Delhi: The latest revelations in the Pegasus spyware controversy are set to heat up the budget session of Parliament starting Monday, with the Opposition keen to hold the government accountable and the Centre preparing to tackle the onslaught.
Also Read | Opposition hits out at govt over Pegasus purchase
The session, starting with the President’s speech at the joint sitting of both Houses, will approve the Union Budget and key government legislations.
The first half of the budget session from January 31 to February 11 has a packed schedule, with the President’s speech, the presentation of the Budget, and a debate on both. The Finance Bill, the Appropriation Bills and demand for grants for various ministries will be cleared in the second half that is expected to run from March 14 to April 8.
The New York Times report on January 28, which said that the Narendra Modi government purchased the controversial Pegasus software in 2017 as a part of $2-billion deal with Israel for military hardware and intelligence tools, has triggered a political storm in India, and coming, as it does, just two days before the start of the longest and most crucial session of Parliament every year, it is certain to find an echo in both Houses.
Union minister of state VK Singh has already challenged the authenticity of the report. “Can you trust NYT?? They are known “Supari Media,” he tweeted. Supari is Mumbai-lingo for a hit job.
Also Read | VK Singh calls NYT ‘supari media’ after report on Pegasus spy tool row
The government is unlikely to accept a full debate on the Pegasus issue, a senior functionary said, and might point out that a committee appointed by the Supreme Court is already looking into the matter.
By an order on October 27, the SC’s bench set up an expert committee, engaging the services of some well-known experts in the field of computer science, cybersecurity and digital forensics, under the supervision of its retired judge RV Raveendran.
The Pegasus row erupted on July 18 after an international consortium of media outlets and investigative journalists reported that the phones of Indian ministers, politicians, activists, businessmen and journalists were among the 50,000 that were potentially targeted by Pegasus, Israeli company NSO Group’s phone hacking software. According to this consortium, Pegasus can switch on a target’s phone camera and microphone, as well as access data on the device, effectively turning the phone into a pocket spy.
{{/usCountry}}The Pegasus row erupted on July 18 after an international consortium of media outlets and investigative journalists reported that the phones of Indian ministers, politicians, activists, businessmen and journalists were among the 50,000 that were potentially targeted by Pegasus, Israeli company NSO Group’s phone hacking software. According to this consortium, Pegasus can switch on a target’s phone camera and microphone, as well as access data on the device, effectively turning the phone into a pocket spy.
{{/usCountry}}The spyware controversy nearly washed out last year’s monsoon session, with the Opposition seeking a debate and a reply from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The government made a statement in both Houses and assured them that illegal snooping was impossible in India.
On Saturday, an unnamed government functionary, as quoted by news agency PTI, said that “the matter related to Pegasus software is being monitored by a committee under the Supreme Court and its report is awaited.”
Parliament usually refrains from discussing matters that are before the courts, although there is no bar on it taking these up.
The Congress, which has started reaching out to other parties in the Opposition camp, announced that it would raise the Pegasus issue in Parliament. The party’s chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala alleged the Centre has misled both Parliament and the Supreme Court.
“The role of the Prime Minister and his responsibility is now directly in question. Kharge Saheb (leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge) has said, we will discuss this with other political parties and seek accountability of the Prime Minister on the floor of the Parliament,” Surjewala said.
Kharge said that the statement by IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in Parliament indicated that “there is no purchase, nothing. So, it is their statement,” he said.
“The Modi government misled the Supreme Court, which directly questioned it on the purchase and use of the questionable software. In its sworn affidavit, the government [represented through the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology] had unequivocally denied any and all of the allegations made against it,” Surjewala added.
CPIM general secretary Sitaram Yechury too demanded that the government explain why it bought this cyber weapon, who gave the permission for its usage, how were the targets selected and who got these reports. “Pegasus has been procured on public money to destroy our democracy. Spying on the Election Commission, political leaders, Supreme Court and Officers conducting sensitive investigations is a serious subversion of democracy. Unacceptable. This govt must go,” he tweeted.
While the introduction of the bill to regulate cryptocurrencies has become uncertain in this session, the government is expected to push the data privacy bill, the mediation bill, The Chartered Accountants, the Cost and Works Accountants and the Company Secretaries (Amendment) Bill, 2021, The National Anti-Doping Bill, 2021 and the amendments to the Wild Life (Protection) Act and the The Biological Diversity Act.
Although Pegasus is expected to dominate the Opposition’s discourse in the first half of the session, the Congress and other parties have also planned to raise the government’s disinvestment process including the sale of Air India, seek answers on the Chinese incursions along the LAC and demand a compensation package for Covid-19 victims. During the budget debates, opposition parties plan to raise issues such as the price rise, job loss and the economic situation.