'Attempt to Crush Democracy': Rahul Welcomes SC-Ordered Probe in Pegasus Row

"Today, SC has given it opinion and supported what we were saying," Rahul Gandhi.

File photo of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.

(Photo: PTI)

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday, 27 October, addressed a press conference acknowledging the 'threat to national privacy by Government of India's Pegasus spying' and hailed the Supreme Court's decision to probe the matter.

"Pegasus is an attempt to crush Indian democracy. It is a big step that the Supreme Court has said that they will look into this matter. I am confident that we will get truth out of this."

Rahul Gandhi

The congress leader went on to say that the apex court had supported the Congress party's decision with regard to the Pegasus issue.

"We were asking three questions: Who authorised Pegasus? Who are the victims of the spying? And did any other country have access to the information of our people?" Gandhi reiterated.

'A Criminal Act'

Asserting that the pegasus snooping can only be ordered by either the Prime Minister or the Home Minister, Gandhi added that if Pegasus spyware was used against prominent leaders then it is a criminal act.

"Was the prime minister and home minister getting the data obtained through use of Pegasus? If the data of phone tapping of Election Commission, Consortium for Educational Communication (CEC) and opposition leaders are going to PM, then it's a criminal act."

Rahul Gandhi

The congress leader also said the congress would revive the Pegasus issue in the parliament again and attempt to have a debate on the matter.

SC Sets Up Panel to Probe Use of Pegasus

The Supreme Court on Wednesday ordered the setting up of an expert committee overseen by a retired Supreme Court judge to examine the use of Pegasus spyware against Indian citizens, including whether the right to privacy has been violated.

The three-member Technical Committee set up by the court will be overseen by former Supreme Court judge Justice RV Raveendran, along former IPS officer Alok Joshi and Dr Sundeep Oberoi. The committee has been directed to conduct an "expeditious probe" into the matter, with the case set to be heard again after 8 weeks.