On meditation abroad, Rahul Gandhi makes WhatsApp breach about Rafale

While on a 'meditation trip' abroad, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, on Thursday tweeted on the government seeking a report from Whatsapp over reports of hacking by Israeli spyware Pegasus. In the tweet, Rahul Gandhi made a bizarre correlation between the Rafale deal and the recent illegal spying. Gandhi, whose location is still undisclosed, stated that the Centre asking Whatsapp about Pegasus is like PM Modi asking Dassault about the Rafale deal.

Rahul equates Whatsapp scandal to Rafale deal

READ | Indian journos, activists spied on; govt seeks report from WhatsApp

What is the Whatsapp spying controversy?

Earlier in the day, Facebook-owned WhatsApp revealed that Indian journalists and human rights activists were among those globally spied upon by unnamed entities using an Israeli spyware Pegasus. WhatsApp said it was suing NSO Group, an Israeli surveillance firm, that is reportedly behind the technology that helped unnamed entities' spies hack into phones of roughly 1,400 users spanning across four continents and included diplomats, political dissidents, journalists, and senior government officials. While Whatsapp has not revealed on whose behest this hacking has happened, Union Information Technology Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad has sought Whatsapp to explain the kind of breach and what it is doing to safeguard the privacy of Indians.

READ | Make Rahul Gandhi's 'meditational visit' itinerary public, argues BJP

Rahul Gandhi's 'meditation' trip

Meanwhile,  the Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi left abroad on Monday, ahead of the party's planned 35 press conferences from November 1-8, to protest against the economic slowdown. Gandhi's visit is scheduled for a week and he will come back to India in the first week of November, as per ANI. Congress is scheduled to hold 35 press conferences between November 1 and November 8 and protests between November 5 and November 15 against the anti-economic policies and decisions of PM Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre.

READ | Rahul Gandhi leaves Cong hanging again; flies abroad prior to protests

Why not make itinerary public? : BJP

On Thursday, Congress Spokesperson Randeep Surjewala stated that Rahul Gandhi had gone on a 'meditational visit' and added that Gandhi routinely made such abroad trips for 'meditation'. But the BJP has demanded the grand old party to make Gandhi's abroad itinerary public, pointing out that India is known as a hub for meditation. Previously on October 5, adding to the turmoil in the Grand Old Party the former party president left for Bangkok in the wake of the Congress being split into two camps - Sonia Gandhi's supporters and Rahul Gandhi's supporters ahead of the Maharashtra and Haryana state Assembly polls. Inspite of the internal turmoil, Congress has made a comeback winning 31 seats in the 90-seat Assembly.

READ | GONE AGAIN: Rahul Gandhi on 'meditation visit', will skip Cong protest