Was Pegasus spyware used in toppling K’taka’s JD(S)-Cong coalition govt?

New Delhi/Bengaluru: The Pegasus spyware scandal now has spread to the State too with a report stating that it was used in the fall of the JD(S)-Congress coalition government in State in 2019.

The report states that in mid-2019, Siddaramaiah, HD Kumaraswamy’s and his close associates and Dr G Parameshwar’s phones were under surveillance using the Pegasus spyware.

One of the phone numbers used by Parameshwar was in the list of numbers allegedly tapped using the Pegasus spyware. Kumaraswamy’s secretary Satish’s two phone numbers and Siddaramaiah’s close associate Venkatesh’s number was also found in the list, the report adds.

The report further claims that the phone number of a police official, Manjunath Muddegowda, who was in the security detail of HD Devegowda was also found in the list.

Speaking on the issue Siddaramaiah said the entire case is a crime and the Central government should conduct a high-level investigation. It should also be debated in both the Houses.

KPCC President DK Shivakumar said, “there were phone tapping allegations during the coalition government. Chief Minister Yediyurappa hastily ordered a CBI probe into the issue. But the investigation was not completed. According to me, there is a connection between the then phone tapping case and the present Pegasus case. Therefore, I request the Supreme Court, to start a high-level investigation, headed by a judge of the court.”

“The Central government is involved in the Pegasus spying case. This is a case of human rights violations. Recently, spying has become the priority of the Central government. It is one of the weapons used by the BJP to dismantle governments in the States and to maintain power at the Centre,” Kumaraswamy reacted.