BJP couldn’t win polls despite might: TMC on Project Pegasus

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Monday lashed out at the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the Centre after the names of party MP Abhishek Banerjee, and poll strategist Prashant Kishor featured in a list of Indians whose phones were either breached or might have been targeted for hacking with the help of an Israeli spyware. The TMC taunted the saffron party, saying it could not even win the state Assembly elections despite “hacking phones”.

An international consortium of media organisations has reported that more than 300 verified mobile phone numbers, including those belonging to two serving ministers, over 40 journalists, three Opposition leaders and one sitting judge, besides scores of businesspersons and activists, might have been targeted for hacking through the Pegasus spyware, which its manufacturer claims is sold only to government agencies.

A report published on Sunday claimed that the phone of Kishor, TMC’s poll strategist, was hacked during the high-octane West Bengal Assembly polls. It also claimed that the mobile number of Abhishek Banerjee, who is the nephew of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and an all-India general secretary of the TMC, featured among the potential targets.

Abhishek on Monday tweeted, “Two Minutes of SILENCE for the SORE LOSERS! Despite ALLIES like ED, CBI, NIA, IT, ECI, @BJP4India’s money + might and #PegasusSpying Mr @AmitShah couldn’t save his face in #BengalElections2021. Please COME Prepared with Better RESOURCES in 2024!”
Hitting out at the Centre, TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh said the alleged snooping showed that the BJP was suffering from fear psychosis.