Explained: The Pegasus row in Andhra Pradesh, in the context of a wider TDP-YSRCP tussle

Banerjee was quoted by PTI as having said in the Assembly that Andhra Pradesh “had it (Pegasus) during Chandrababu’s (Naidu) time (2014-19)”.

Referring to her statement, Andhra Pradesh Finance Minister B Rajendranath, who led the discussion in the state Assembly on Monday, said that it needed to be investigated whether the previous TDP regime led by N Chandrababu Naidu had purchased the Pegasus spyware.

It was “quite possible”, Rajendranath told the House. “A senior leader and CM like Mamata Banerjee will not say it just like that.”

So what exactly is the ruling YSRCP alleging?

YSRCP is alleging that then CM N Chandrababu Naidu may have purchased the Pegasus spyware to keep tabs on rival political leaders including (now Chief Minister) Y S Jagan Mohan Reddy.

Rajendranath accused Naidu of adopting nefarious methods to watch his rivals. He said that the TDP government may have illegally tapped phones of political leaders and that of a large number of voters to gauge their mood.

However, he stopped short of making a specific allegation — he said no “evidence” was available, and that the government was only “assuming”.

“Naidu used all kinds of tactics against his political opponents. It is possible the spyware was used to keep a tab on the 5 crore people of AP. We cannot present any evidence because such mischievous and illegal work is done illegally and is kept under wraps without leaving any evidence. We are assuming that not only political leaders but voters of all sections were under surveillance during Naidu’s regime,’’ Rajendranath said.

How has the TDP reacted to Mamata Banerjee’s statement?

TDP leaders have said that Banerjee could have been misinformed, and have dismissed the allegations on Pegasus.

TDP National General Secretary Nara Lokesh, son of N Chandrababu Naidu, who was IT Minister at that time, said that although the Pegasus spyware was offered to the government, they did not purchase it. Lokesh said that his government never purchased any spyware or indulged in phone tapping.

TDP leaders said that it is now nearly three years since the YSRCP came to power, and if there was any evidence for the purchase of Pegasus, they would have found it by now.

The controversy is seemingly about Pegasus, but are there wider political issues involved?

YSRCP raised the bogey of Pegasus in the House on Monday after being pinned down by TDP MLAs for two days over deaths of at least 26 persons in Jangareddygudem in West Godavari district allegedly due to consumption of illicit liquor.

Led by Chandrababu Naidu, TDP leaders attacked the government for failing to rein in illicit liquor manufacturing. Over 15 of the 23 TDP MLAs were suspended for a day for causing ruckus. The TDP leaders also accused the government, which took over all liquor sales in a bid to implement prohibition, of selling cheap liquor brands which they alleged were affecting the health of consumers.

After the YSRCP’s landslide victory in the May 2019 Assembly elections and subsequent sweeps in urban and rural local body polls, the TDP has been reduced to a weak Opposition. The alleged hooch deaths and complaints of poor quality of local brands of liquor have given it an opportunity to make itself heard.

The recent HC ruling asking the state government to develop Amaravati as the capital city as envisaged by the TDP regime, came as a shot in the arm for the party which has stepped up criticism of the YSRCP government. The TDP is also fighting to retain ground from being usurped by the BJP.

What do we know so far about the possibility of Indian governments or state agencies having purchased or used the spyware?

In October 2021, the Supreme Court ordered an investigation headed by a former judge of the court, Justice R V Raveendran, to look into the allegations of unauthorised surveillance using Pegasus.

The terms of reference of the committee included whether Pegasus was acquired by the ­Centre or any state government, or any central or state agency for use against the citizens of India, and whether any government agency did indeed use the spyware against citizens, and it so, under what law, rule, guideline, or protocol.

The central government has rejected the global media investigation into the use of Pegasus, and has declined to supply any facts in the matter. It has criticised the alleged undermining of national security considerations by the opposition, but it has not explicitly denied the use of Pegasus.

The Indian Express reported on January 30 that at least two cybersecurity experts had deposed before the committee that there were “strong indicators” pointing to the involvement of “the state, its intelligence and law enforcement agencies” in using the spyware for unauthorised surveillance against individuals.

The panel submitted its interim report to the Supreme Court last month.

In January, The New York Times reported that following Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel in 2017, the Indian government had bought Pegasus as part of a $2-billion package for weapons including a missile system.

Mamata Banerjee’s revelation that the NSO Group had approached the West Bengal government “four-five years ago” with an offer to sell Pegasus to the state police for “Rs 25 crore” was the first direct confirmation of the attempted use of the spyware in India.

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