Centre refers Siddaramaiah's plaint on Pegasus spyware to Karnataka govt
Bengaluru, Nov 6: The Ministry of Home Affairs has referred the matter relating to former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah's complaint to investigate the alleged spying and surveillance through Pegasus spyware to the Karnataka government saying that police and public order are state subjects.
The leader of opposition in the Karnataka Assembly petitioned President Ram Nath Kovind through Governor Thaawarchand Gehlot seeking a judicial inquiry by a sitting judge of the Supreme Court on "illegal" spying and surveillance through Pegasus on July 22 after staging a demonstration in the city.
Congress party leaders later that day took out a march to the Raj Bhavan and submitted his plea to Gehlot, which was addressed to President Kovind.
The petition was forwarded by the President's Secretariat to the Home Ministry, which recently sent a letter to the Karnataka Chief Secretary P Ravi Kumar marking a copy to Siddaramaiah.
The ministry said, "Since 'police' and 'public order' are state subjects under the seventh schedule to the Constitution of India, it is the responsibility of the concerned state government to prevent, detect, register and investigate crime and prosecute the criminals involved through the machinery of its own law enforcement agencies, and hence, you may take action on the representation, as deemed appropriate."
Sources close to Siddaramaiah said that he may raise an objection over the letter as the matter pertains to 'Centre and state subject', which only Centre has to address.
The senior Congress leader in his letter to the President on July 22 said people of the country are shocked and surprised to notice on July 18, 2021 that series of news reports in publications around the world revealed that more than 1,000 Indian mobile numbers of various personalities were targeted for surveillance including those of opposition party leaders, union ministers, supreme court judges, journalists, election commission members and other dignified and important persons of the country by using the Pegasus spyware of NSO Group of Israeli company.
"Pegasus Spyware is a commercial company, which works on paid contracts. The questions arise on who paid them for the 'Indian Operation'. If it is not the Government of India, then who it is?" Siddaramaiah wrote in his letter to the President.
Quoting media reports, he said since 2019, more particularly in the month of June and July of that year, he himself, then Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy, then Deputy Chief Minister Dr G Parameshwara, former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and other political leaders' numbers were spied upon and kept under surveillance by tapping the phones of the leaders and their personal staff.
"The BJP leadership had engineered to resign 17 MLAs in the name and style of 'Operation Kamala' (Operation Lotus). Similarly the BJP leadership might have tapped the phones of leaders from Madhya Pradesh and other state governments and toppled the said state governments," Siddaramaiah alleged.
In his letter, he urged the President to order a judicial probe by a sitting Supreme Court judge on illegal spying and surveillance in the interest of national security and to uphold the dignity and fundamental rights of the citizens of India.
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Special prayers offered in churches of Udupi diocese in support of Armed Forces
Udupi: As directed by the Indian Catholic Bishops’ Council, special prayers, inclusive of special offerings, were held for the safety of the Indian Armed Forces and soldiers during the Sunday Mass at the churches under the Udupi diocese.
Bishop Rev. Fr. Dr. Gerald Isaac Lobo, who is on his official annual visit, performed a special prayer service at St. Joseph's Church in Belman, Karkala taluk, and offered prayers for the soldiers serving the country. He also offered a special adoration in the name of the new Pope Leo XIV.
The Bishop, addressing the gathering at the prayer service, said that there was severe tension in the Indo-Pak border giving rise to fear of declaration of war. “As our soldiers guard the borders for the welfare of the entire nation and putting their lives at risk, we pray every day for their well-being. We should stand in support of our soldiers to boost their self-confidence,” he added.
“Pope Leo XIV has called for peace in the entire world and asked the citizens of all nations to cooperate for this by opting for discussion rather than war. We too should remember his message always and both nations should strive for strengthening of peace,” he added.
Church Pastor Fred Mascarenhas, Assistant Pastor Arnold Matthias and Karkala Christ King Church Pastor Clement Mascarenhas were present at the event.
