More Spyware Ahead Of 2024: P Chidambaram's Swipe At Centre Over Pegasus

Senior Congress leader and former Union Minister P Chidambaram mocked the government today over the fresh row over the Pegasus spyware triggered by a report in the US daily New York Times, saying the government can get fresh spyware ahead of the 2024 elections at double the alleged cost. Union VK Singh, who had called the NYT "supari media" in response to the report, was not spared either.

"I doubt if he knows the role played by the two newspapers in exposing the Watergate scandal and the Pentagon Papers If he does not wish to read history, he can at least watch the movies!" Mr Chidambaram tweeted.

Earlier this week, the New York Times reported yesterday that the Pegasus spyware and a missile system were the "centerpieces" of a roughly $2 billion deal of sophisticated weapons and intelligence gear between India and Israel in 2017.

In the report titled 'The Battle for the World's Most Powerful Cyberweapon', NYT referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Israel in July 2017 -- a first by an Indian Prime Minister. It also linked the deal to India's vote at the UN's Economic and Social Council in support of Israel to deny observer status to a Palestinian human rights organisation. This also was a first for India, which has been traditionally supporting the Palestinian cause in view of Muslim sentiments in the country.

"The last deal was for $2 billion. India can do better this time. If we get more sophisticated spyware ahead of the 2024 elections, we can give them even $4 billion," Mr Chidambaram tweeted today.

A second tweet read: "PM said that it is the best time to set new goals in the India-Israel relationship Of course, it is the best time to ask Israel if they have any advanced version of the Pegasus spyware.

While the government remained silent, junior minister for Road Transport & Highways and Civil Aviation tweeted: "Can you trust NYT? They are known 'Supari [hired for a hit job] Media'.

"Minister V K Singh has called the New York Times 'supari media' Was he not the one who called Indian media 'presstitutes'? I wonder if he has ever read newspapers like the New York Times or Washington Post," Mr Chidambaram tweeted.

In a lethal second tweet, he suggested that the minister watch movies if he is unable to read history. The reference was to "All the President's Men" – the 1976 film that was based on the true story of The Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein as they broke the Watergate scandal.

The Pegasus row erupted last year as a global news consortium reported that the spyware was used by several nations to target activists, journalists and others of the civil society. India was also on the list. and the news portal "The Wire" claimed that more than 142 people were targeted. The alleged list included Congress's Rahul Gandhi ahead of the 2019 elections, poll strategist Prashant Kishor, two serving Union Ministers, an ex-Election Commissioner, two registrars of the Supreme Court, an old number of a former judge, a close aide of a former Attorney General and 40 journalists.

The government, however, dismissed the allegations saying there was no illegal interception.

In October, responding to a clutch of petitions, the Supreme Court ordered the formation of a three-member expert committee to look into the issue, saying the state will "not get a free pass" every time national security is raised and the court will not remain a "mute spectator".