Cong plans nationwide agitation on 'Pegasus Project' report
Darpan News Desk IANS, 20 Jul, 2021 12:00 AM
New Delhi, July 20 (IANS) After it emerged that former party President Rahul Gandhi, among others, was one of the potential targets of snooping using the Pegasus spyware developed by Israel's NSO Group, the Congress has planned nationwide agitation and has decided to raise the issue in Parliament.
At least two mobile phone accounts used by Rahul Gandhi were among the 300 verified Indian numbers listed as potential targets by an official Indian client of the Israeli surveillance technology vendor, NSO Group, The Wire has reported.
The Congress has asked its state units to march towards Raj Bhavan to lodge the protest and it will also hold press conference in each state capital.
In Parliament, the party has moved suspension notice in the Rajya Sabha by K.C. Venugopal and adjournment motion in the Lok Sabha.
On Monday, the Congress said, "Shouldn't Home Minister Amit Shah, in-charge of the country's internal security, be sacked forthwith? Does this not warrant a full investigation into the role of the Prime Minister, the Home Minister and others involved?"
The Congress said that it's "shocking and sensational" that news reports disclosing illegal and unconstitutional hacking of cellphones of Constitutional functionaries, Union Cabinet ministers, present and former heads of security forces, senior leaders of the opposition, journalists, lawyers and activists reflect treasonous and inexcusable dismantling of national security by the BJP government.
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The World Bank has lowered the growth projection for India for the financial year 2021-22 to 8.3 per cent. Its previous growth estimate for the fiscal was 10.1 per cent.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Monday directed the Director General of Police (DGP) to register cases under the Disaster Management Act against Opposition leaders and activists who have been staging protests in the state over the past few days.
The Delta variant accounts for more than 27 per cent of new cases in Ontario, as more international flights with Covid cases landed in Toronto last week.
India's capital allowed businesses and shops to reopen with limited hours and the Delhi Metro, which serves New Delhi and adjoining areas, also resumed operations at 50% capacity.
After Upendra Kushwaha and Sanjay Singh, Umesh Thakur, the Siwan district president of the JD-U, jumped into the fray and said that Pandey has a long criminal history. He had also molested a young girl in a train.
