Lucknow, Nov 1 :
Amid concerns over ‘spying incidents’ through WhatsApp, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav on Friday said the role of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre should be probed as far as the audacious attempt of a foreign company to tamper with privacy is concerned.
Mr Yadav tweeted, “The news of foreign company spying through WhatsApp is extremely sensitive and a matter of challenge to national security. It is an audacious attempt to look into people’s personal lives. The role of the BJP government in this matter should be disclosed. Even the BJP supporters are opposed to this.”
In his tweet, Mr Yadav also referred to a news published in an English newspaper. Meanwhile, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra also tweeted that if the BJP or its government is involved with the spying Israeli agency, then there cannot be a bigger case of violation of human rights. This can have grave ramifications for national security, although the government’s response in this matter is awaited.
Notably, WhatsApp had on Thursday said some Indian journalists and social workers had been targeted by operators using Israeli spyware ‘Pegasus’ which was being used to spy on people globally. This gave way to concerns about people’s privacy.
Following the news, the Centre has asked the company about the steps it has taken to safeguard the privacy of millions of Indian citizens.
