Rahul Gandhi invokes ‘Pegasus’ in his Cambridge University speech
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in his Cambridge University’s speech: ‘Snooped by the Indian Govt’
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi made startling claims in his Cambridge University speech. He slammed the Modi govt for snooping on his phone via ‘Pegasus’ spyware.
Gandhi said, “I had Pegasus on my phone. A large number of politicians had Pegasus on their phones. I have been called by intelligence officers who told me, ‘Please be careful about what you are saying on the phone because we are sort of recording the stuff. So this is the constant pressure that we feel. Cases on the Opposition. I have got several criminal liable cases for things that should under no circumstances be criminal liable cases. That’s what we are trying to defend.”
Here is the full Video of Rahul Gandhi’s Lecture at @CambridgeMBA @CambridgeJBS
“The art of listening” when done consistently and diligently is “very powerful,” – @RahulGandhi https://t.co/4ETVo0X45f#BharatJodoYatra#RahulGandhiinCambridge pic.twitter.com/tDI4ONieG0
— Sam Pitroda (@sampitroda) March 3, 2023
The Congress leader is in London for a week’s tour that includes the student-only lecture at the University of Cambridge, his alma mater. Cambridge University in a tweet informed that Gandhi will speak as a Visiting Fellow of the Cambridge Judge Business School (Cambridge JBS), on the topic of “Learning to listen in the 21st Century”.
Gandhi spoke on the Bharat Jodo Yatra experience, Indian democracy under attack, capture and control of media and judiciary and surveillance and intimidation etc.. While touching upon these issues, he remarked, “Everybody knows via the news that Indian democracy is under attack.
I am an Opposition leader in India, we are navigating that space. The institutional framework which is required for a democracy — Parliament, free press, the judiciary, just the idea of mobilisation – all are getting constrained. So, we are facing an attack on the basic structure of Indian democracy.
Gandhi further attacked the Modi govt for working against constitutional values.
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He added, “In the Constitution, India is described as a Union of States, and that Union requires negotiation and conversation. It is that negotiation that is under attack and threat. You can see the picture which is taken in front of Parliament House. The Opposition leaders were jailed for speaking out on issues. That has happened relatively violently 3 or 4 times. You have also heard of the assaults on minorities and journalists. You get a sense of what is going on.”
When asked by the audience to list some good policies of the Modi govt, Rahul Gandhi came heavily on PM Modi and said, “I could think of something like giving gas cylinders to women, bank accounts are not a bad thing. But that’s not the point. In my view, Mr Narendra Modi is destroying the architecture of India. I am not bothered about the two-three good things that he is doing if he is blowing our country to smithereens. And I think that’s what he is doing.”
BJP slammed the Congress leader for defaming the country on the global stage. Union Minister Anurag Thakur remarked, “It has become a habit of Rahul Gandhi to defame India on foreign soil. The Modi government has increased the respect of India in the whole world.”
