From Tripura, Derek O'Brien alleges Abhishek Banerjee's phone was tapped during elections

Amid the Pegasus 'snoopgate' row, Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien on Thursday said that West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee's phone was tapped during the recently concluded West Bengal elections. The TMC leader also demanded a judicial inquiry in the matter.

"During the West Bengal election, TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee's phone was tapped. We want a full judicial inquiry on this issue. TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee is coming here. Something is happening in Tripura," Derek O'Brien said, reported ANI.

In a bid to escalate TMC's footprint in Tripura, Derek O'Brien reached the capital, Agartala, along with Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar on Thursday to bail out 23 members of a survey team from political strategist Prashant Kishor's I-PAC. The local court has granted bail to all the Indian Political Action Committee members without condition rejecting the submission filed by Tripura Police. Abhishek Banerjee is also likely to reach Tripura on Friday.

A 23-member I-PAC team was allegedly detained by Tripura Police on Monday citing coronavirus norms violation. The team, which is Mamata Banerjee's poll strategist, had reached ahead of the 2023 assembly polls in the state for a political assessment.

Pegasus row: Abhishek Banerjee among alleged potential targets

The Pegasus row erupted earlier this month ahead of the monsoon session of the Parliament after a section of media reported that many Indian ministers, politicians, journalists, activists and businessmen were potentially targeted by Israeli spyware Pegasus. Poll strategist Prashant Kishor and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee's nephew Abhishek Banerjee were allegedly named in the list of potential targets.

If Abhishek's phone tapped, mine too, says Mamata

Targeting BJP, CM Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said her phone was most probably hacked as her nephew was among the potential targets of the Pegasus spyware. "My phone is already tapped. If Abhishek's (Abhishek Banerjee) phone is tapped, my phone is automatically tapped as I talk to him. There is no freedom of the press, Pegasus is a deadly virus that has put everyone's life in danger," she had said.