The Congress on Friday asked the government whether the massive increase in the budgetary allocation for the National Security Council secretariat, from Rs 26 crore during UPA rule to Rs 333 crore in 2017-18, was meant for purchasing the Pegasus spyware.

The Narendra Modi government is yet to answer whether it has bought the Israeli spyware in the first place.

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera said: “The National Security Council secretariat is largely concerned with administration and co-ordination. The UPA government had in 2011-12 allocated Rs 17.43 crore. This amount marginally increased to Rs 20.33 crore in 2012-13 and further to Rs 26.06 crore in 2013-14.”

Khera added: “In the year 2014-15 when the Modi-led government came to power, the amount of grant to the National Security Council secretariat had increased to Rs 44.46 crore. It came down to Rs 33 crore in 2016-17. But in 2017-18, a new sub-head was added to the National Security Council secretariat called ‘Cyber Security Research and Development’. The grant jumped to Rs 333 crore. Interestingly, the snooping using Pegasus allegedly began the same year.”

The Congress spokesperson continued: “What explains (the huge) increase in the allotment of grants to the secretariat? Was this grant to the secretariat used to purchase Pegasus?”