Many people have raised concern over privacy breach: Dhankhar

A day after West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee claimed her phones were being tapped and sought a probe into charges of "snooping" on activists and scribes, Governor Jagdeep Dhankhar on Sunday said many people he has met here have raised concerns over breach of privacy.

Dhankhar, however, clarified that he was not aware of the information available with Banerjee on the matter, drawing reactions from TMC Secretary General Partha Chatterjee, who questioned "the governor's need to comment on everything the chief minister has said".

Iterating that her calls were being tapped regularly by the Centre, the Trinamool Congress supremo alleged on Saturday that the Narendra Modi-led government was "fully aware" of the security breach on messaging platform WhatsApp.

 

Facebook-owned WhatsApp had said earlier this week that Indian journalists and rights activists were among those globally spied upon by unnamed entities using an Israeli spyware 'Pegasus'.

"Now that we are talking about the right to privacy, let me say that I have met here many important people from the field of politics, business, other functionaries who have told me that their privacy was being compromised with," the governor said on sidelines of a programme here.

Asked about the CM's allegation against the Centre, he said, "I am not aware what specific information she has in possession, based on which she levelled the charges."

Calling for a fair probe into incidents of injustice and violence in the state, Dhankhar also said that it was a matter of concern that the perpetrators in many cases were still at large.

"The criminal justice system in West Bengal has to be fair. I am pained to see violence, especially those instigated by political motives," he added.

Reacting sharply to Dhankhar's comments, Chatterjee, who is also the state education minister, said the governor must immediately release the names of people, who have expressed concern over "snooping".

"It seems that Dhankhar isn't here to serve as the constitutional head. He has other reasons in store. Why does he have to comment on each and every statement made by the CM, just like an opposition leader of the BJP? He should release the names of people, who have raised concerns over privacy breach," he added.