Fadnavis refuses allegations of Pegasus being used during his govt's tenure in Maharashtra

BJP leader and former Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday refuted allegations of the NSO Group's software, 'Pegasus' being used during his government's tenure to tap mobile phones of then Oppositions leaders and journalists in Maharashtra.

Addressing a press conference, Fadnavis said the 'Pegasus project' is a conspiracy to ruin the nation.

"When we (BJP) were in power in Maharashtra and I was the Chief Minister, we have not taken any service of NSO," he said.

Speaking further, Fadnavis said: "Opposition doesn't want Parliament to run smoothly. Pegasus project is a conspiracy to ruin the nation. Telegraph Act is strong under PM Modi's government. It has cleared that legal interception is done and illegal hacking doesn't take place."

Maharashtra Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant earlier alleged the central and then Fadvanis government for allegedly tapped phones of then Opposition leaders and journalists using 'Pegasus'.

Sawant also demanded that the Maharashtra government must conduct an inquiry in this matter.

Shiv Sena MPs on Tuesday met Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla and gave a memorandum demanding Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe in Pegasus project.

The names of over 40 Indian journalists appeared on the leaked list of potential targets for surveillance by an unidentified agency using Pegasus spyware, according to a report published in The Wire on Sunday.

According to the report, the journalists who were targeted work for some news organisations in the country including Hindustan Times, The Hindu, India Today, Indian Express and Network18.

Many of them cover matters related to Defence, Home Ministry, Election Commission and Kashmir among others.

( With inputs from ANI )