The statement made by Trinamul Congress leader and West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee that former Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu had purchased the controversial Pegasus spyware during his tenure has given an excellent weapon to the ruling YSR Congress party.
For the last few days, the YSRC and the Jagan government have been on the defensive in the state legislative assembly over the suspicious deaths in Jangareddygudem in West Godavari allegedly due to consumption of illicit liquor.
Though the TDP members are being suspended from the assembly every day and the state government has been dishing out statistics to prove that there is no illicit liquor brewing in the state and that the Jangareddygudem deaths were natural deaths, the issue continues to rage with every passing day.
At this stage, the statement of Mamata Banerjee has come as an excellent opportunity for the YSRC to turn the tables on the TDP.
Though the office of the Director General of Police had clarified in August 2021 itself that no such software was ever bought by the government, the YSRC leaders insist that the Naidu government might have definitely bought it.
On Monday, the YSRC leaders issued a notice to Speaker Tammineni Sitaram for a discussion on Pegasus issue and the latter has agreed for the same.
Naturally, the TDP legislators protested for allowing a debate on a non-issue and they were immediately suspended from the House.
State finance minister Buggana Rajendranath Reddy said the statement made by Mamata on buying of Pegasus by the Naidu government was certainly a serious issue and it should be referred to the expert committee constituted by the Supreme Court.
“There is a need for a thorough debate in the assembly on her statement and the issue be referred to the Supreme Court committee through the assembly,” he said.
Interestingly, senior IPS officer A B Venkateshwara Rao, who served as intelligence chief during the Naidu regime, called for a press conference in the evening to give clarification on the subject.