Ashwani Kumar hails Mamata Banerjee government's decision to form inquiry panel over Pegasus row

By Amit Kumar
New Delhi [India], July 26 : Congress leader and former union law minister Ashwani Kumar has hailed Mamta Banerjee government's decision to constitute a statutory commission of inquiry into the Pegasus surveillance allegations and said it is a "welcome political statement in aid of the citizens' fundamental right to privacy, freedom and dignity".
Kumar told ANI that the Opposition must not shirk from taking "the snooping report" to its logical conclusion in a demonstration of commitment to constitutional values.
He said the defence of the right to privacy that concerns the conscience of the Republic and its fundamental values "must enlist the support of the entire nation, rising above partisan considerations".
"The duty to unravel the truth about the assault on the nation's core values is the first charge on our democratic politics," he said.
Earlier in the day, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said the state government has formed an inquiry commission on allegations of surveillance through Israeli spyware Pegasus.
The two-member commission includes former Supreme Court judge Justice Madan B. Lokur and former acting Chief Justice of the Calcutta high court Justice Jyotirmay Bhattacharya.
Mamata Banerjee said they expected that the Centre will probe the matter "but they did not do so".
The opposition has been forcing adjournments in the two Houses of Commission over its demands on various issues including a probe into the allegations of surveillance through Pegasus.