'No Transaction With NSO Group': Union Defence Ministry Presents First Response Amid Pegasus Row

In a recent hearing, Supreme Court observed that the allegations of Pegasus-related snooping are serious, if the reports in the newspapers are correct.

Representative Photo

New Delhi: In a first, the Defence Ministry on Monday presented its response over the Pegasus controversy, clearly stating that it has nothing to do with Israel based NSO Group Technologies.

The reply came in response to a question put up by parliamentarian V Sivadasan who had asked whether the government had carried out any transaction with the NSO Group Technologies, news agency IANS reported.

In a written reply, Minister of State (Defence) Ajay Bhatt said, "Ministry of Defence has not had any transaction with NSO Group Technologies".

This is the first time that the Union government has responded to a pointed question over the Pegasus snooping row after the Union IT Minister denied the snooping allegations in Parliament earlier.

Parliamentarian V Sivadasan, who raised the query, is a leader of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) and a member of the Upper House from Kerala.

Both the Upper House and the Lower House in Parliament have been witnessing uproar by Opposition over the 'Pegasus Project' reports that said over 40 journalists, 3 prominent opposition leaders, 1 constitutional authority, 2 serving ministers in the Narendra Modi government, current and former heads and officials of security organizations, and a large number of businessmen were being spied on using the Israeli spyware.

Opposition's Joint Statement & SC Hearing

Recently, eighteen leaders of like-minded opposition parties issued a joint statement and demanded a discussion on the Pegasus snooping issue.

The statement read: "The opposition parties stand firm and united on their demand for a discussion on the Pegasus issue in both the Houses, replied to by the Home Minister, as this has national security dimensions".

"It is unfortunate that the government has unleashed a misleading campaign to malign the combined opposition and blame it for the continued disruption in Parliament. The responsibility for the deadlock lies squarely at the doorstep of the government, which remains arrogant and obdurate and refuses to accept the opposition's demand for an informed debate in both the Houses," it added.

In a recent hearing, the Supreme Court had observed that the accusations levelled against the Union government over alleged spying using Israeli software Pegasus "are serious if news reports are correct".

The Supreme Court bench asked the petitioners to present a copy of their petitions to the Central government's law officers. Without the Union government present in the hearing, the bench cannot proceed as of now, the top court stated.