Modi destroying democracy, says Rahul; BJP hits back

“Once again, the Congress lost in elections but their bankruptcy was evident when they lost no opportunity to malign India from foreign soil,” Union minister Anurag Thakur told the media.

Reacting to Rahul’s allegation that Opposition leaders are under surveillance by the government, and that he, among many politicians, had Pegasus spyware on his phone, Thakur wondered what prevented them from submitting their phones to a Supreme Court-appointed committee that probed the Pegasus snooping issue.

“We can understand his hatred towards the PM, but the conspiracy to malign the country on foreign soil with the help of foreign friends raises questions on the Congress’s agenda,” he said.

Speaking on ‘Learning to Listen in the 21st Century’, Rahul said: “Indian democracy is under pressure, under attack…. .Institutional framework required for a democracy — Parliament, a free press, the judiciary….just the idea of mobilisation, just the idea of moving around…these are all getting constrained. We are facing an attack on the basic structure of democracy.”

He said, “I myself had Pegasus on my phone. A large number of politicians have Pegasus on their phones. I have been called by Intelligence officers who tell me…please be careful of what you are saying on the phone because we are sort of recording the stuff. This is the constant pressure we feel.” He said Opposition leaders are also facing cases.

BJP spokesperson Tom Vadakkan said Rahul was “hallucinating” and making such claims since he wants to create headlines wherever he goes. Vadakkan said the Supreme Court has closed the Pegasus matter.