'Aap Chronology Samajhiye...': Home Minister Calls Pegasus Project A 'Report By Disrupters For Obstructers'

BJP in its response to Pegasus Project has laid a lot of emphasis on the timing of the report that came just before the beginning of the Monsoon session, alleging ill-intent.

File Photo: PTI

New Delhi: Union Home Minister Amit Shah has issued a statement regarding the disruptions by Opposition parties on the first of Parliament's Monsoon session along with the controversy raked up by the 'Pegasus Project'.

"Disruptors and obstructers will not be able to derail India’s development trajectory through their conspiracies. Monsoon session will bear new fruits of progress," Amit Shah wrote in his statement.

Referring to media reports pertaining to the 'Pegasus Project', he wrote: "In what seemed like a perfect cue, late last evening we saw a report which has been amplified by a few sections with only one aim - to do whatever is possible and humiliate India at the world stage, peddle the same old narratives about our nation and derail India’s development trajectory".

He emphasised that key bills for the welfare of "farmers, youngsters, women and the backward sections of society" are lined up for debate and discussion in the Monsoon session, "but there are forces unable to digest this. They also want to derail national progress. This merits the question - to whose tune are these people dancing, who want to keep showing India in poor light? What pleasure do they get to time and again show India in bad light?" he alleged.

Attacking Congress Party which asked for his resignation over the Pegasus row, HM Amit Shah wrote: "To see the rudderless Congress, jump on to this bandwagon is not unexpected. They have well past experience in trampling over democracy and with their own house not in order, they are now trying to derail anything progressive that comes up in Parliament".

"People have often associated this phrase with me in lighter vein but today I want to seriously say - the timing of the selective leaks, the disruptions…Aap Chronology Samajhiye! This is a report by the disrupters for the obstructers," he added bringing up his much-quoted phrase. 

He accused the reporters behind the 'Pegasus Project; of being "disrupters" who are "global organisations which do not like India to progress. Obstructers are political players in India who do not want India to progress".

'Pegasus Project' - Allegations & Defense

Reports on 'Pegasus Project' alleged that 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 part of the list of potential or past victims of the Pegasus project.

The Guardian and The Washington Post claimed that many governments of the world including the Indian government, are spying on eminent personalities through a special software named Pegasus which is sold by the Israeli surveillance company NSO to the governments of various countries.

While the Opposition parties target the Union government over the claims, the BJP-led Centre has vehemently denied the allegations. 

BJP in its response to the allegations and reports has laid a lot of emphasis on the timing of the report that came just before the beginning of the Monsoon session, alleging ill-intent.

"A highly sensational story was published by a web portal last night. Many over-the-top allegations were made around this story. The press reports appeared a day before the monsoon session of Parliament. This can't be a coincidence," IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in Lok Sabha on Monday.

Ravi Shankar Prasad, like his successor in IT Ministry, questioned the intention behind releasing this report ahead of the Parliament's Monsoon Session.

In political personalities, former Congress President Rahul Gandhi, poll strategist Prashant Kishor, TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee and new IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw are reported to be among the potential targets of Israeli spyware 'Pegasus'.

Congress party's Rajya Sabha leader Mallikarjun Kharge has demanded that Union Home Minister Amit Shah resign and a probe be launched against PM Narendra Modi.

"PM and HM are involved in snooping on Opposition leaders including Rahul Gandhi, journalists and even Union ministers. Before a probe, Amit Shah sahab should resign and an inquiry should be conducted against Modi sahab," he said.