Pegasus row: Assam CM says it is an international conspiracy to defame India, PM Modi

Guwahati, July 20: Amid row over the Pegasus snooping controversy, Assam Chief Minister and senior BJP leader Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said that it is an international conspiracy hatched by certain sections to defame India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said that Pegasus is a well designed international conspiracy to defame Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian parliamentary system and also a kind of deliberate attempt to create dissatisfaction among the people.

He also said that whenever India is going to achieve some landmarks or the country is going to achieve some milestones, international conspiracy both from outside and inside of the country starts immediately.

“The story broke by certain international media and some news portals of India and they have said that Amnesty International is the partner. We all know the role of Amnesty – they are encouraging all along with left-wing terrorism in India and they are working overnight to defame India globally. We know all the credibility of Amnesty. I thoroughly condemn this malicious design and the people who are involved in this process should be examined, their credibility should be examined and they should be brought to the law. Because how they can say without evidence and they can use so many names without any proper pieces of evidence,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

He further said that, in India, there is a proper system of telephone tapping or telephonic surveillance and in our country, there is a clear SOP on how to do telephone or other kinds of surveillance under the authority of law.


Also Read: What is The Pegasus project? – All you need to know

 

Even after our government categorically denying that there is nothing happening in our country without the authority of law or we are not doing anything which will basically affect the privacy of the people, still these people are hell-bound in creating a disturbance in our country,” the Assam Chief Minister said.

Hitting out at the opposition Congress party, Himanta Biswa Sarma said that, Congress’s own track record for phone tapping is within the radar and they have got a doctorate degree doing all these things.

“Main opposition party Congress is creating ruckus within the parliament. But what about their own records – in 2013 replying to one of the RTI then UPA government admitted that they are doing surveillance on over 5000 phones and 500 email accounts. The Congress party in Rajasthan has been criticized by the court for basically influencing people’s privacy and freedom. So Congress’s own track record is within the radar. Their own integrity, respect for privacy is always questioned. Now today the same party is accusing others of doing something in which they have actually got doctorate degree of doing all these things,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.