Will Rahul Gandhi, Congress apologise on Pegasus issue: BJP on SC verdict

The BJP claimed on Thursday that the opposition's attack on the government over the Pegasus issue was all part of a "motivated campaign" aimed at weakening Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

BJP leader and former Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad wondered if Rahul Gandhi and the Congress will apologise after the Supreme Court-appointed panels probing the unauthorised use of Pegasus found some kind of malware in five mobile phones out of the 29 examined but could not conclude if it was due to the Israeli spyware.

Opposition parties, so called intellectuals, some NGOs and a section of media ran a sustained campaign against the government, Prasad told a press conference.

He also alleged that the Congress has so much animus against Modi and his government that it resorts to falsehood to expand the party but ends up shrinking further after its lies are exposed.

He cited the Congress campaign against the government over the issue of Rafale aircraft purchase and the Central Vista project and noted that the Supreme Court found no irregularities in them.

"Will Rahul Gandhi and the Congress apologise," he asked, noting that the opposition leader had levelled charges like treason against the prime minister for alleged surveillance of his colleagues and opposition leaders using Pegasus.

The prime minister was accused of crushing democracy and parliamentary proceedings were disrupted over the issue, he said, accusing the opposition parties of taking cover of PILs to move court after running "motivated" campaigns.

The court-appointed panel on Pegasus also said that the Centre did not cooperate with the probe, a Supreme Court bench said after perusing the report submitted by former apex court Justice R V Raveendran.