English हिन्दी
Connect with us

India News

Pegasus spying row: Rahul Gandhi, Prashant Kishor, 2 ministers snooped upon

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, poll strategist Prashant Kishor, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, two union ministers, and former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa were placed in the second list of potential targets of an alleged surveillance operation using spyware Pegasus.

Published

on

Spyware Pegas

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, poll strategist Prashant Kishor, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew, two union ministers – Ashwini Vaishnaw, Prahlad Singh Patel, and former Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa were placed in the second list of potential targets of an alleged surveillance operation using spyware Pegasus, reported The Wire on Tuesday.

The list also includes the name of a founder of key election watchdog Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), Jagdeep Chhokhar, who was entered on to the list at around the same time as Lavasa. More than 11 phone numbers belonging to the Supreme Court staffer and her close relatives who accused former Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi of sexual harassment in April 2019 were also selected as targets for surveillance.

Even the name of virologist Gagandeep Kang, who has been a key part of India’s battle against COVID-19 was mentioned in the list of the possible targets for surveillance. Also, Hari Menon, the India head of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and at least one other foundation employee, who was selected in mid-2019, are also part of the list.

The publication of the names has sparked a major controversy that can derail the monsoon session of Parliament that began earlier in the day. During a press conference, Congress demanded the resignation of Home Minister Amit Shah and a probe into the role of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the alleged espionage.

The Pegasus Project, the international collaborative investigation of which The Wire is also a part, had earlier made revelations that Pegasus spyware has been used to target the mobile phones of over 40 journalists and activists in India. 

Read Also: Khushbu Sundar’s twitter account hacked, tweets deleted

For the unversed, the Pegasus which is sold by the Israeli company NSO group is being used by the vetted government around the world. The Pegasus project investigation into the leaked database of numbers believed to be selected by clients of NSO group as possible targets for surveillance has suspectedly tapped the phone of big personalities of India.

2024 Lok Sabha Elections

BJP to contest all 13 Punjab Lok Sabha seats for first time since 1996, says state BJP chief Sunil Jakhar

Jakhar said that the Lok Sabha election was the most appropriate time for the BJP to contest independently, as the state is looking for an option

Published

on

Punjab BJP state President Sunil Jakhar recently said that his party will contest all 13 Lok Sabha sears in the state independently. The BJP has not allied with the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) since 1996.

Sunil Jakhar in an interview with a news publication, said that this decision signifies a new chapter in the party’s strategy in Punjab. The BJP had allied with the SAD in Punjab for over two decades, and is considered to be a major coalition in the state’s political landscape.

The BJP state chief noted that the decision to contest independently was taken on the account of the feedback from the public and party members, reflecting a growing sentiment within the BJP to establish a stronger, independent presence in Punjab.

Jakhar continued that the Lok Sabha election was the most appropriate time for the BJP to contest independently, as the state is looking for an option. He asserted that Punjab tried out-of-the-box experiment in form of Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), but are dissappointed with them.

He further highlighted the BJP’s work under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, particularly in securing minimum support prices for farmers, as key accomplishments that the party will present to the electorate. This development follows as the BJP aims to consolidate its position and expand its influence in Punjab.

Notably, the SAD was one of the oldest allies of the BJP. Nonetheless, the SAD severed ties with the NDA in September 2020 over the now repealed farm laws that saw widespread protests in northern India.

Speaking about coalition with SAD, the BJP state chief said that the alliance was not political but a social one. He added that the party is facing a battle of survival, and that its leader Sukhbir Singh Badal has sins to wash of, including the drug problem and sacrilege cases.

Election in Punjab’s 13 Lok Sabha seats is scheduled for June 1, 2024. This development is expected to significantly alter the dynamics of the electoral battle in Punjab, traditionally dominated by the SAD-BJP coalition and the Congress party.

Continue Reading

India News

3-year-old found dead inside Patna school drain, crowd sets school on fire

Superintendent of Police Chandra Prakash said an investigation is launched and three people have been arrested

Published

on

Protests erupted in Bihar’s capital after a three-year-old child was found dead in a private school in the city. The body of the child was discovered in the school’s sewage system, prompting a mob of protesters to attack the building and attempt to set it on fire.

The tragic finding was reportedly made when the child’s family began looking for him after he did not came back home from school. As soon as they went to the school, family members began to suspect more after school administrators allegedly made an effort to divert questions regarding the child’s whereabouts.

The family continued in their quest to find the truth, which finally led them to a devastating revelation. The three-year-old’s body was discovered hidden in a drainage gutter deep within the school grounds.

Soon the local authorities were informed about the incident after which the police launched the investigation. Superintendent of Police Chandra Prakash said, the child was observed entering the school but did not exit.

Chandra Prakash said the child was observed entering the school in the CCTV video, but he was never seen exiting the school grounds. The school was hiding the body, which indicates criminal intent, therefore the police will look into it as a murder case, he added. An investigation is launched and three people have been arrested, Chandra Prakash added.

The parents rushed to the streets seeking justice for their child. They  claimed that the school was trying to hide what had happened to their child. The angry protesters blocked traffic on roads and set fire to school walls. The cowrd also blocked the road leading to school.

Continue Reading

India News

Swati Maliwal undergoes medical check-up, internal injuries on face

Published

on

AAP Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal sustained internal injuries in her face after being reportedly assaulted by an aide to Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, as per reports. Maliwal spent more than three hours on Friday at AIIMS, Delhi, having a medical examination.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police has stepped up its hunt for Bibhav Kumar, Kejriwal’s assistant, one day after filing a formal complaint in relation to the incident. After a Delhi Police squad recorded Maliwal’s statement at her home, a FIR was filed.

The former head of the Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) said in her complaint that Bibhav Kumar had punched, kicked, slapped, and beat her with a stick.

Earlier, on Thursday evening, Swati Maliwal underwent a medical check-up for about four hours. Along with Maliwal, a Delhi Police squad arrived at AIIMS at 11 p.m. and left at 3:15 a.m. Maliwal was accompanied by Vandana Singh, a member of the Delhi Commission for Women. There was a CT scan and an X-ray.

Swati Maliwal has claimed in her lawsuit that she was repeatedly struck on sensitive body parts and subjected to physical assault.

Delhi Police has stepped up its investigation into the matter in the interim.A team of police reached Bibhav Kumar’s house, but he was not found.

Approximately ten police teams are looking into the matter; four of the units are tracking Bibhav’s whereabouts. According to sources, Bibhav might be in Amritsar. Additionally, since the INDIA bloc is planned to have a rally in Mahrashtra, police believe Bibhav may be there.

Continue Reading

Trending

-->

© Copyright 2022 APNLIVE.com