'Indian democracy under attack, had Pegasus on my phone': Rahul Gandhi at Cambridge lecture
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi launched a scathing attack at the Centre during a lecture at Cambridge University, alleging that an attack has been unleashed on the basic structure of Indian democracy while also claiming that Israeli spyware Pegasus was being used to snoop into his phone.
FollowIn his Friday lecture at Cambridge University, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that the fundamental foundation of Indian democracy is being attacked and that the legal framework necessary for democracy is becoming limited. He added that Pegasus is being used by the government to eavesdrop on him.
Rahul Gandhi, who is a Visiting Fellow of the Cambridge Judge Business School (Cambridge JBS), delivered the lecture to students at the university on the subject of ‘Learning to Listen in the 21st Century’.
"India's freedom is being challenged. We are attempting to protect a democratic assault. Pegasus was used by the government to spy on opposition leaders," the Congress MP added. "I myself had Pegasus on my phone. A large number of politicians had Pegasus on their phones. I was told to be careful when I speak on the phone," Rahul Gandhi told students of the university. He claimed that he had been warned by the intelligence officers to be "careful" while speaking on the phone as his calls were being recorded.
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Rahul Gandhi accused the government in his speech with enslavement, media and judicial control, spying, intimidation, attacks on minorities, Dalits, and Tribals, as well as stifling criticism. The leader is on a week-long visit of the UK and will speak at Cambridge University about India-China ties, big data and democracy, and other topics.
The committee created by the Supreme Court in August of last year to investigate claims that the government was using Pegasus for eavesdropping came to the conclusion that while none of the 29 mobile devices it investigated contained spyware, five of them did contain malware.
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