Mamata Banerjee says her phone also tapped; alleges involvement of Centre and 3 state govts

In the middle of the controversy over suspected mobile monitoring by WhatsApp, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged on Saturday that her phone was also "tapped" and asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi to investigate the matter.

"My phone also has been tapped, and I've said this many times before ... I have proof ... this is happening at the beck and call of the central government and two-three state governments.

"The Constitution grants us freedom but where is that freedom? We're not even free to talk about it. Earlier, it was landline phones, then mobile phones, and even WhatsApp is not safe now. Somebody's not only listening, but also recording. It's a very disturbing thing. I want the PM to conduct an investigation, "said Banerjee.

Trying to respond to Banerjee's comment, BJP member Kailash Vijayvargiya said, "She should look at her state first. There is no law and no justice in Bengal. Officers like Rajeev Kumar (former police commissioner for Kolkata) have a complete set-up for such surveillance. The police call not only from opposition leaders, but also from their own party.

On Thursday, The Indian Express disclosed that WhatsApp had revealed that devices of human rights activists and journalists in India had been attacked with surveillance by Pegasus operators, a spyware developed by the Israeli company NSO Group.