Amid calls for a probe by ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi constituents on snooping during the previous BJP-led government, Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis clarified that the services of NSO were never taken when he was at the helm of affairs.
Fadnavis was Chief Minister from 2014-19 when he also held the Home portfolio.
State Congress general secretary and spokesperson Sachin Sawant has demanded a probe into the allegations of snooping when the previous government was in power. Even ruling Shiv Sena and NCP have expressed concern over the Pegasus issue.
Speaking to reporters, Fadnavis said, “When I was there (as Chief Minister) the NSO Group (which makes Pegasus spyware) was never contacted.”
According to him, the Maharashtra government never took any help from NSO till he was Chief Minister.
When asked that a group of five officers visited Israel, he said, “A team of DGIPR (the state government's publicity department) went to Israel after the (2019 Vidhan Sabha) elections and before the next (MVA) government was formed, but that trip was for agriculture development purposes.”
"This is a conspiracy to discredit Indian democracy by spreading such news on the eve of the Parliament session. It is noticed that whenever India moves forward, some people try to discredit the country for different interests," he said.
"With the strategy of derailing this convention, the work of the convention is being hampered by spreading fabricated news," he said.
Published 20 July 2021, 11:39 IST