'Shahenshah, Shah' Buying Cognyte Spyware For Rs 986 Crore To Replace Pegasus: Congress

The Congress party accused the Modi government of planning to buy new spyware by spending Rs 986 crore of taxpayers' money to target journalists and the Opposition.

The Congress on Monday accused the Narendra Modi government of buying new a spyware, 'Cognyte', for snooping. As much as Rs 986 crore will be spent on it, senior Congress leader Pawan Khera said. The latest attack by the Grand Old Party came amid reports claiming that an Indian defence agency has been purchasing equipment from an Israeli spyware firm that is being used as a potential Pegasus alternative. News outlet The Hindu reported that the firm in question is Cognyte Software Ltd, which faces a class action lawsuit by investors in the US.

"The two spies of this country don't have faith in anyone. Neither their own nor the NGOs, the courts, the civil society, or the media. When they were in their own state [Gujarat], the way they used the police and the intelligence network for snooping is known to all. Now that they are here, they have continued to spy on people. They use crores of taxpayers' money on spyware and similar technology," Pawan Khera claimed in a press conference at the Congress Party's headquarters in Delhi.

"They have built a castle of fear and lies and it is very hollow. They are scared that if their truth comes out, their castle will collapse."

"When Pegasus became infamous, this 'minimum governance, maximum surveillance' government began searching for a new spyware. There is a new spyware called Cognyte. It's not blacklisted and not much is known about it. It will be used as an alternative to Pegasus," the Congress spokesperson alleged.

"It's not as high-profile as Pegasus. An American Law firm has made observations about it," he said, citing a report by US firm Kessler Topaz Meltzer & Check LLP. The firm's report says that journalists, government critics, families of opposition members, and human rights activists are targetted with the spyware without their knowledge, he added.

The firm is going to cost the government Rs 986 crore, Khera claimed. 

The Congress demanded answers on these allegations asking whether it bought equipment from 'Cognyte', through which Ministry, the government was acquiring the surveillance technology. The party also sought to know how much it was spending on the spyware.

"Have you issued the Request For Proposal? If yes, under which ministry," the Congress leader asked. These allegations come after Rahul Gandhi had brought up surveillance allegations during his visit to the United Kingdom.

The Modi government and ruling BJP's response to these allegations is awaited.