Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, July 20: The BJP leader and the leader of the opposition in the West Bengal Assembly Suvendu Adhikari has inadvertently confirmed the opposition allegation that the ruling BJP and the central government could be using the Pegasus Israeli spyware to snoop on some politicians, activists and journalists.
While addressing a BJP meeting a day after the spying charges surfaced from a report in the national and international media on Sunday, Adhikari in a video clip that went viral on Tuesday could be heard saying that he had all the “phone records” of the Trinamool Congress general secretary and Lok Sabha member Abhishek Banerjee made from the chief minister’s office.
In fact, Adhikari was trying to sound warning that he was aware of the “misdeeds” of the chief minister’s nephew and the West Bengal police and that they would be probed by the central agencies but the untimely threat enabled the TMC to pounce on the BJP leader for “snooping” on politicians which the central government vehemently denied in Parliament.
A suo motu case has now been lodged against Adhikari at the Tamluk police station over his remarks aimed at East Midnapore Superintendent of Police (SP) Amarnath K. The West Bengal Leader of Opposition has been booked under various provisions of the National Disaster Management Act and the Official Secrets Act.
In the video clip, Adhikari can be purportedly heard saying that he has records of all the phone calls made from the office of chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee to the police officers apparently to “harass” the BJP leaders. It created a stir in West Bengal and elsewhere as a proof of the opposition allegations against the BJP and the Narendra Modi government of illegally tapping phones through the Israeli spyware.
A section of the local media in Bengal reported that Adhikari made the statement at a public meeting in East Midnapore district on Monday afternoon and he was referring to local police officers. The TMC reacted sharply saying the video confirms the illegal use of Pegasus by the BJP.
“Adhikari should be arrested immediately and interrogated in custody. He has proved that Pegasus was used to snoop on many people, including Abhishek Banerjee. This is a heinous crime. The Centre is misusing its powers,” said TMC state general secretary Kunal Ghosh.
Two senior state BJP leaders, who did not want to be identified, said they would not comment on his statements.
Adhikari is a legislator from East Midnapore’s Nandigram where he defeated the chief minister Mamata Banerjee in the recent assembly polls by 1,958 votes. His father and one of his brothers are TMC Lok Sabha MPs.
The video, in which Adhikari can be seen addressing a BJP public meeting, surfaced a day after opposition parties targeted the BJP in Parliament by accusing the Centre of using an Israeli malware called Pegasus to snoop on opposition leaders, journalists and government officials. TMC had alleged in Parliament that Abhishek Banerjee was among those whose phone was tapped.
In the 35-second video clip, Adhikari can be heard referring to the chief minister as “aunt” and Abhishek Banerjee, the TMC national general secretary and Lok Sabha member, as “nephew.”
The video was apparently shot in some district of Bengal recently. Adhikari can be heard saying, “The role of the IO (investigating officer), inspector-in-charge and the superintendent of police will be probed by the Central Bureau of Investigation. Then you will understand that no aunt can save you. Phone calls are made to you from the nephew’s office. I have all the phone numbers and call records. If you have the state government, we have the Central government.”
According to the reports, addressing BJP workers near the SP’s office in Tamluk , Adhikari had claimed that he had the “call records” of SP Amarnath K. The BJP MLA went ahead to warn the East Midnapore SP against indulging in acts which may lead to him being “posted in Anantnag or Baramulla in Kashmir”.
Adhikari had warned East Midnapore SP against taking orders from the “nephew,” a reference to Abhishek Banerjee, who is the nephew of Mamata Banerjee.
“I have each and every call record, phone numbers of all those who call you from the nephew’s office. If you have the state government with you, we have the central government with us,” Adhikari was quoted as saying.
Over the past few months, the West Bengal government has filed a number of cases against Adhikari, including one where he has been accused of facilitating the alleged theft of flood relief materials from a municipal godown. A probe is also underway into the alleged mysterious death of his security guard in 2018 when he was with the TMC.