Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attacked the central government during his recent lecture at Cambridge University, alleging that several Indian politicians, including himself, were under surveillance using Pegasus spyware.
In a talk titled 'Learning to Listen in the 21st Century', Gandhi was addressing MBA students at the Cambridge Judge Business School in the UK on 28 February.
“I myself had Pegasus on my phone. Large number of politicians have Pegasus on their phones. I’ve been called by intelligence officers who say please be careful of what you say on your phone as we are recording the stuff,” Gandhi said.
He further added, "This is a constant pressure that we feel. I’ve got a number of criminal liable cases registered against me for the things which, under no circumstances, be criminal cases. And that’s what we are trying to defend.”
Gandhi's lecture at the university was shared by Congress leader and former Prime Minsiter Manmohan Singh's ex-adviser Sam Pitroda.
Gandhi also accused the Centre for attacking the basic structure of Indian democracy.
“Indian democracy is under pressure and under attack. The institutional framework which is required for a democracy … the Parliament, free press, the judiciary, just the idea of mobilisation — these are all getting constrained. We are facing an attack on the basic structure of democracy,” he said.
Moreover, he said that during the Bharat Jodo Yatra in Kashmir, a person kame to him and showed Rahul Gandhi ‘militants’ who were keeping a watch on him, adding, "I felt I was in trouble but nothing happened as I went there only to listen with no violence in me."
Gandhi is on a week-long visit to the United Kindom, where he will interact with representatives of the Indian Overseas Congress (IOC) – UK chapter and will also address an “Indian Diaspora Conference," reported The Indian Express.
(At The Quint, we question everything. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member today.)