Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday said “many important people here” had told him “their privacy was being compromised with” while asserting he was “unaware of the information” chief minister Mamata Banerjee had when she alleged phone tapping by the Narendra Modi government.
“Now that we are talking about the right to privacy, let me say I have met here many important people. From the fields of politics, business, other functionaries… they have told me that their privacy was being compromised with,” Dhankhar said.
Asked about Mamata’s snooping allegations, Dhankhar said: “I’m not aware of what specific information she has in her possession, based on which she has levelled the charges.”
While alleging tapping on Saturday, Mamata said she was a victim of surveillance and added it as “really worrying”. Her remarks came in the middle of the snooping row around Israeli agency NSO’s Pegasus software.
Trinamul secretary-general Partha Chatterjee said on Sunday Dhankhar’s statement was similar to the remarks of many BJP leaders, including national general-secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya, on Saturday. Vijayvargiya had claimed it is the habit of the Mamata government to spy on others.
“It appears the governor is not here to fulfil his role as the constitutional head. Why must he comment on each and every statement by the chief minister, like Opposition leaders Dilip Ghosh or Kailash Vijayvargiya?” Chatterjee asked.
“If he has such information, he should release the names of people who have expressed privacy concerns to him.”
Mamata had said the Centre was using NSO to watch politicians, journalists, judges, IAS and IPS officers, activists and others.
Speaking to a news channel later, Mamata had said: “Land phone bhi tap hai! Mobile bhi tap hai! Toh hum kya karega? Leukoplast laga ke baitha rahega? (Landlines are tapped, mobile phones are also tapped. So what should I do, put on Leukoplast and sit?)”