New Delhi: The Standing Committee on Information Technology (IT), chaired by senior Congress leader Dr. Shashi Tharoor, is scheduled to meet today (July 28)  to discuss the alleged phone tapping of politicians, journalists and others using Pegasus spyware. An international media consortium has reported that over 300 verified Indian mobile phone numbers were on a list of potential targets for surveillance using Israeli firm NSO's Pegasus spyware.

Shashi Tharoor on Tuesday said that the alleged snooping controversy is the "most important issue" for many members. According to a notification issued by Lok Sabha Secretariat, the listed agenda of the meeting is "Citizens' data security and privacy".

The panel, which has the maximum members from the ruling BJP, has summoned officials from the Ministry of Electronics, Information and Technology and the Ministry of Home Affairs. It is pertinat to note that Rahul Gandhi, union ministers Prahlad Singh Patel,  IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, businessman Anil Ambani, a former CBI chief, and at least 40 journalists are on the list on the leaked database of NSO. It is, however, not established that all the phones were hacked.

Karnataka New CM: Basavaraj Bommai to swear-in today at Raj Bhavan

Andhra Pradesh to set up 2 multi-modal logistics parks near Krishnapatnam port

Sidhu arrives to meet CM Amarinder for first time after becoming Punjab Congress president