“Mr Modi, don’t mind. I am not attacking you personally. But you and maybe the Home Minister — you are deploying agencies against opposition leaders. You are misusing the agencies.,” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee charged PM Modi over the recent ‘Pegasus’ surveillance allegation.
Mamata said this while she was addressing the people virtually in connection with Martyr’s Day on Wednesday, where she mentioned that she will keep herself available on July 27& 28 in Delhi, should an opposition meeting is held on those days.
“Three things make democracy — media, judiciary and the Election Commission — and Pegasus has captured all three,” she said. Mamata made an appeal to the opposition leaders to unite against this threat.
She expressed that talking to opposition leaders over the phone is not an easy option now. “I cannot talk to you people. To Sharad Pawar, Delhi Chief Minister, Goa Chief Minister… I have put leucoplast on my (phone) camera. This government should also be plastered over,” she said.
Mamata pleaded the Apex Court to voluntarily come forward and investigate what is happening with this alleged violation. “Save the country, the democracy. Can’t you take suo motu cognisance as all phones are tapped? Set up a panel to probe… Only judiciary can save the country”, she said.
She lined up series of charges against the Centre stating that the Government spent tax money on Spyware while it should have focused on using it for the public’s welfare. “Look at the petrol prices. The Government of India collected Rs 3.7 lakh crore from fuel tax alone. Where is the money going?” she said.
“No vaccines are available. You want to create a surveillance state. Ministers’ phones have been tapped. Judges’ phones have been tapped. Pegasus spyware intercepted the phones of judiciary, politicians, media persons,”
“Today, when people want freedoms and progress, good healthcare, education and jobs, all that the Central government is interested in is violence, divisive politics, clashes, mistrust among people… this is not what India needs,” she said.