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

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has stirred a fresh storm in the Pegasus spyware controversy by saying that the state too had received an offer for purchasing ‘machines’, but had refused to do so.

A day after claiming so in the state assembly, Mamata reaffirmed her comments responding to a question while interacting with the press. “They had come to sell machines everywhere, so they had come to sell it to our police as well,” the chief minister said.

She added that Rs 25 crore were asked for as the charge, and this was around four to five years ago. “Information reached us as well. We said we don’t want (it),” Mamata said, adding that it is a different thing if the spyware is used in countering anti-national issues, or in security matters. But if it is being used for political purposes, against judges, or against officers then it is not desired, she said.

A day earlier, speaking in the assembly, Mamata had said that when the offer had come to her government, it was refused as it would have interfered with people's right to freedom of speech. She said that Andhra Pradesh bought it when Chandrababu Naidu was the chief minister.

The West Bengal government, in July last year, had set up a two-member inquiry commission to investigate the alleged snooping done on activists, journalists and politicians, using Pegasus spyware. In December, however, the Supreme Court stayed proceedings of the commission. The Court, last year in October, had appointed a committee to probe the allegations

Parties in Opposition, including Trinamool, have been vocal against alleged use of the spyware. It was alleged that prominent politicians in the Opposition, activists and journalists were targeted through this spyware. The snooping software has also been a matter of concern for civil society members globally.

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