New Delhi: The Congress on Monday questioned the Centre on reports of a new spyware being acquired.
“Has the Modi government now bought a new spyware to snoop, spy and surveil individuals and institutions?,” asked Congress media chairman Pawan Khera on Monday.
While addressing the media here, he alleged that these institutions include — the opposition parties, NGOs, media houses, civil-rights activists, judiciary, Election Commission, and every other institution which protects democracy.”
He alleged that the government is willing to spend Rs 986 crore for “Disqualifying Democracy”.
He said that according to trade data analyzed by a prominent newspaper, the Modi government has already bought the spyware equipment from ‘Cognyte’ — an alternative to ‘Pegasus’.
“The government is also desperately hunting for new spyware with a lower profile than the controversial Pegasus system, which was blacklisted by most countries.
“The US law firm Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check LLP in a statement describes ‘Cognyte’:
“Cognyte regularly targeted journalists, dissidents, critics of authoritarian regimes, families of opposition, and human rights activists around the world, without their knowledge, and collected intelligence on these people by manipulating them to reveal information and/or by compromising their devices and accounts.”
“The defence and intelligence officials from the Modi government have decided to acquire spyware from less exposed competitors to the NSO Group – which owned Pegasus spyware and is willing to spend up to $120mn, i.e , Rs 986 crore of public money through new spyware contracts.
“Is it not a fact that the Modi government, through the Ministry of Defence, has bought some communication equipment from Pegasus alternative – ‘Cognyte’, as the trade data reflects?” Khera asked.
“Is the Modi government in advanced stages of deliberations to finalise new spyware, which is lesser known, low key and not blacklisted by various foreign countries? Is it true that the Ministry of Defence has also started working for a ‘Request for Proposal’ (RFP) regarding the same?”
