Hitting out at the Centre, Indian National Congress General Secretary Randeep Singh Surjewala on January 29 said that the Modi govt bought the Pegasus spying and snooping tool as part of a deal with Israel in 2017, alleging that Prime Minister himself was indulged in the illegal snooping using the spyware. “Shocking and new expose in an international publication has now established what Congress always maintained, that Modi government is deployer and executor of illegal and unconstitutional spying and snooping racket through Israeli surveillance spyware Pegasus and PM Modi is himself involved,” said Surjewala. “Brazen hijack of democracy and act of treason. Modi govt purchased Pegasus in 2017 along with other military technologies as a centerpiece of a package, including weapons and intelligence gear worth roughly $2 Billion from Israel during PM Modi's visit,” he added.