TDP-YSRC again at each other's throats over Pegasus spyware

The Pegasus spyware issue has triggered a fresh round of heated exchanges between the Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and the YSR Congress (YSRC) in Andhra Pradesh.

The YSRC on Friday said former Chief Minister and TDP leader N Chandrababu Naidu might have purchased the spyware privately.

An RTI reply furnished by the Director-General of Police of the State in August last said such software was never procured but the ruling party insisted that the Centre and the State conduct a detailed inquiry into the issue.

The TDP maintained that the DGP’s statement vindicated its stand.

It all started after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed that the previous TDP government of Chandrababu Naidu purchased the Pegasus spyware from an Israeli company. TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh flatly refuted the claim by saying the West Bengal Chief Minister was misinformed.

Also read: 'Pegasus was offered at Rs 25 cr, we refused it', claims Mamata

"Yes, Pegasus offered to sell its spyware to the AP government as well but we rejected it," Lokesh said.

With the DGP’s office asserting that no such software was procured, the YSRC still sought to make an issue of it by alleging that Chandrababu Naidu might have purchased Pegasus spyware privately with the help of the then Intelligence chief A B Venkateswara Rao who is now under suspension.

“If what Mamata Banerjee said is not true, why has not Chandrababu filed a defamation case against her,” said YSRC spokesman A Rambabu.

"If he doesn’t file a case, it amounts to admitting to use of Pegasus. If the State and the Central governments conduct a thorough probe, the facts will come out,” he said.

The TDP hit back at the YSRC spokesman by saying his claims only exposed his ignorance. “The spyware is sold only to governments and not to individuals. The YSRC leaders are not aware of even the basic facts,” said TDP MLC B Ravi.

Had the then TDP government used the spyware, it would have probably saved Jagan’s uncle Y S Vivekananda Reddy from being murdered, he said.

“This is only to get away from the death of about 20 people due to spurious liquor that the Jagan regime is seeking to make an issue out of Pegasus. It should stop talking nonsense and order a judicial probe into the spurious liquor deaths,” said the MLC.

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