Allegations of Surveillance on Supriya Sule

The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), led by Sharad Pawar, has raised alarms regarding the potential surveillance of party MP Supriya Sule, suggesting that Pegasus spyware may be employed against her as the Maharashtra Assembly elections approach. NCP spokesperson Mahesh Tapase accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of resorting to underhanded tactics to undermine Sule's political standing after their failure to defeat her in previous elections. Tapase claimed that the BJP's desperation stems from Sule's electoral success, which has put the party in a precarious position. He alleged that the BJP has attempted to weaken the NCP by orchestrating a split, notably by enticing Ajit Pawar to join their ranks. The spokesperson expressed serious concerns about the use of spyware to monitor the activities of opposition leaders, emphasizing that such actions would represent a significant breach of democratic norms. In light of these allegations, Tapase called for the Maharashtra Home Ministry to clarify whether any surveillance is being conducted on Sule or other opposition figures, including Uddhav Thackeray and Jayant Patil. He underscored the importance of transparency in maintaining democratic integrity. The situation escalated when Pune Police registered a case regarding the hacking of Sule's phone and WhatsApp account, with Sule revealing that hackers demanded a ransom of USD 400. She urged the public to adopt stronger security measures for their digital communications, highlighting the need for vigilance in protecting personal privacy.