WhatsApp row: SC petitioner sends memo to IT minister

KN Govindacharya, the former RSS ideologue and founder of Rashtriya Swabhimaan Aandolan, who filed the criminal petition in SC against WhatsApp and government of India over Pegasus snooping row, has sent a legal memorandum to IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad saying his remarks over WhatsApp issue in Rajya Sabha on Thursday were misleading.

Reviewed by TOI, Govindacharya’s notice said Prasad saying government has not received any complaint over the issues is not correct as he (Govindacharya) sent letters to Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (Meity) on November 2 demanding probe by the NIA.

This comes when the criminal petition filed by him on November 4has been listed for a hearing on December 2. The note also says Prasad saying WhatsApp has appointed grievance officer is not entirely correct as the grievance officer is based out of US.

In September, last year WhatsApp had announced the appointment of Komal Lahiri as its grievance officer. Govindacharya has questioned Prasad over his statement in 2018 that the minister said WhatsApp must appoint grievance officer in India.