Government of India bought spyware ‘Pegasus’ from Israel ! : Says New York Times

Pegasus is a part of the ₹15,000 crores defence deal that took place in 2017 !

Editorial comment

The New York Times’ anti-India propaganda is exposed. Even so, the Government should reassure the people by telling the truth.

New Delhi – A news report published in the New York Times claims that the BJP Government in India bought Pegasus, a spy software developed by the Israeli-based NSO group, in 2017. The report further stated, ‘It was bought under a defence deal worth ₹15,000 crores. India also bought a missile system and some weapons in this defence deal’. This report states that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) in the US also purchased the software and provides information on how this spyware has been used around the world. The Israeli Defence Ministry had approved the use of Pegasus in several countries, including Poland, Hungary, Mexico, and India. So far, neither India nor Israel has officially admitted or rejected the purchase of Pegasus.

Inside the battle to control Pegasus, the world’s most powerful cyberweapon: A yearlong investigation by @ronenbergman and @MarkMazzettiNYT reveals how Israel used sales of the spyware to advance its interests around the world. https://t.co/hHwLDTpUGT

— The New York Times (@nytimes) January 28, 2022

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited Israel in 2017. He was the first Prime Minister to visit Israel. At the time, the deal worth ₹15,000 crores was signed which included Pegasus.

2. In July 2021, it was revealed that many Governments around the world had used spyware to spy on opposition leaders and journalists. In India too, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and more than 40 journalists, including political strategist Prashant Kishor and the then Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa, were allegedly spied on.

The Israeli spyware #Pegasus and a missile system were the “centerpieces” of a roughly $2 billion deal of sophisticated weapons and intelligence gear between #India and #Israel in 2017, according to a report in The New York Times.https://t.co/PWjTohCEp4

— The Hindu (@the_hindu) January 29, 2022

3. The Mexican Government used it against journalists and opposition leaders, while Saudi Arabia used it against journalist Jamal Khashoggi and his colleagues who criticise the royal family.

4. Several petitions were filed in the Supreme Court of India on 5th August 2021 seeking an independent enquiry into the Pegasus espionage case. During their collective hearing, the Court decided to conduct an investigation by a committee of experts.

5. Union Minister VK Singh has criticised the New York Times and called it a ‘supari media’ (a media house that publishes paid news).

Union Minister V K Singh Calls New York Times ‘Supari Media’ Over Its Report On Pegasushttps://t.co/JRye9L4Okc

— Swarajya (@SwarajyaMag) January 29, 2022

What is Pegasus ?

Pegasus is spyware. Spyware refers to software used for spying or surveillance ! This allows any mobile phone to be hacked. After hacking, all the information of that mobile phone including the camera, mic, messages, and calls goes to the hacker. This spyware is developed by the Israeli establishment NSO group.