“Modi Govt has committed treason,” said Rahul Gandhi reacting to NYT report

NEW DELHI — India bought Pegasus spyware from Israel as part of a defence deal worth $2 billion in 2017, The New York Times has reported.

A massive controversy erupted last year when the NSO Group hit the headlines with the alleged use of its Pegasus software by some governments to spy on journalists, human rights defenders, politicians, and others in a number of countries, including India, triggered concerns over issues relating to privacy.

The NYT report titled The Battle for the World’s Most Powerful Cyberweapon’, said that the Israeli firm NSO Group had for nearly a decade been selling its surveillance software on a subscription basis to law-enforcement and intelligence agencies around the world, promising that it could do what no one else — not a private company, not even a state intelligence service — could do: consistently and reliably crack the encrypted communications of any iPhone or Android smartphone.

According to NYT report, through a series of new deals, Pegasus was helping to knit together a rising generation of right-wing leaders worldwide.

The report also referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel in July 2017 – to become the first Indian prime minister to visit the country.

“In July 2017, Narendra Modi, who won office on a platform of Hindu nationalism, became the first Indian prime minister to visit Israel. For decades, India had maintained a policy of what it called ‘commitment to the Palestinian cause’, and relations with Israel were frosty. The Modi visit, however, was notably cordial, complete with a carefully staged moment of him and Prime Minister Netanyahu walking together barefoot on a local beach. They had reason for the warm feelings”, the report said.

NYT reported, “Their countries had agreed on the sale of a package of sophisticated weapons and intelligence gear worth roughly $2 billion – with Pegasus and a missile system as the centerpieces. Months later, Netanyahu made a rare state visit to India. And in June 2019, India voted in support of Israel at the UN’s Economic and Social Council to deny observer status to a Palestinian human rights organisation, a first for the nation.”

A year-long New York Times investigation, including dozens of interviews with government officials, leaders of intelligence and law-enforcement agencies, cyberweapons experts, business executives and privacy activists in a dozen countries, shows how Israel’s ability to approve or deny access to NSO’s cyberweapons has become entangled with its diplomacy.

“The combination of Israel’s search for influence and NSO’s drive for profits has also led to the powerful spying tool’s ending up in the hands of a new generation of nationalist leaders worldwide. Though the Israeli government’s oversight was meant to prevent the powerful spyware from being used in repressive ways, Pegasus has been sold to Poland, Hungary and India, despite those countries’ questionable records on human rights”, NYT reported.

Modi Govt has committed treason: Rahul

Meanwhile, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi reacting over the NYT report alleged the Modi government “bought” Pegasus to “spy on our primary democratic institutions, politicians, and public”.

“Govt functionaries, opposition leaders, armed forces, judiciary all were targeted by these phone tappings. This is treason,” he tweeted. “Modi Govt has committed treason.”