Himachal Pradesh Leader of Opposition and Congress leader Mukesh Agnihotri on Thursday alleged that the Jai Ram Thakur’s BJP government was spying on MLAs through the Personal Security Officers (PSOs) deployed for their security.
In the Assembly, Agnihotri read out a WhatsApp message purportedly sent to some Personal Security Officers, in which they are being asked to share locations of MLAs before 7 am. The WhatsApp message also tells the PSOs that the legislators must not know of this.
“When the state was not able to get the Pegasus spy software, it started using PSOs to keep surveillance on legislators,” Agnihotri said.
The Leader of Opposition also alleged that in one WhastApp message sent to the personal staff of Congress Una MLA Satpal Rai Zada, the security officer was told he would be paid from the CID fund in exchange for information regarding the MLA’s movements.
“Such surveillance of legislators will not be tolerated at any cost. The Home department is under the Chief minister. This House must be told under whose instruction and directions such monitoring is being carried out,” Agnihotri said in the Assembly.
According to the Congress leader, this was not just breach of privacy, but also breach of privilege of the legislators.
Replying in the Assembly, the CM Thakur said no such orders had been issued at any level in the government.
He said: “If someone has done this, it is a very irresponsible act. If the allegations levelled by the LOP are found to be true, the government will take action.”
Meanwhile, Congress MLA Rai Zada said the PSO allotted to him was not of his choice. He was replying to CM who said PSOs are deployed according to the choice of the legislator concerned.
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