Daily News Capsule

The case of alleged spying of opposition leaders and journalists in India through Pegasus software has now reached the Supreme Court. Senior advocate Manohar Lal Sharma has filed a petition in the Supreme Court. In this petition, an SIT investigation has been demanded under the supervision of the Supreme Court. Along with this, an appeal has been made to ban the purchase of Pegasus in India.

Opposition leaders in the country are attacking the Modi government over the Pegasus espionage case. The matter was vigorously debated in Parliament on Wednesday. Congress is demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe. On the other hand, other opposition parties are demanding clarification from the government. However, the government has already dismissed this espionage case.

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Pegasus Spyware scandal is a matter of deep concern

• The petition, filed by advocate ML Sharma, said that the Pegasus incident is a matter of deep concern and is a serious attack on Indian democracy, the judiciary, and the security of the country.
• It is morally wrong to conduct surveillance on a large scale and without any accountability.
• The petition states that Pegasus Spyware is not only used for listening to conversations but is used to get complete digital information about a person’s life and this not only makes the phone user helpless but also everyone on the contact list feels that way.

Nearly 50,000 phone numbers have been targeted since 2016

• The petition also noted that “this espionage-related disclosure will have a significant impact on national security, as the excessive growth of surveillance technology vendors is a “problem for global security and human rights”.
• The PIL has claimed that it is alleged that customers of NSO Group Company have targeted around 50,000 phone numbers since 2016.
• It said, “Pegasus is not just a surveillance device. It is a cyber weapon that is being used against the Indian government machinery.
• Even if it is official (which is doubtful), but the use of Pegasus poses a threat to national security.

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