Team Herald
NEW DELHI: The Defence Ministry on Monday became the first to wash its hands off the controversial Pegasus spyware, seizing an opportunity to answer a question in the Rajya Sabha by CPI(M) member V Sivadasan.
Israeli NSO Group is the manufacturer of the Pegasus software used to invade and hack anybody’s mobile phone.
In a written reply, Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt said: “Ministry of Defence has not had any transaction with NSO Group Technologies.” Asked about the details, he replied: “Does not arise.”
Sivadasan had buried his tricky query at question No 5 and 6 in his lengthy question on the expenditure by the defence ministry in the last three years, wanting to know “whether Government had carried out any transaction with the NSO Group Technologies and if so, the details thereof.
This is the first direct and official response from the government on the use of Pegasus spyware in India. The government is treating Pegasus as a hot potato, refusing to discuss it at all in Parliament to the extend of even sacrificing almost the whole monsoon session by braving daily ruckus and adjournments.
