Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claims his phone was tapped

"I myself had Pegasus on my phone. Large number of politicians have Pegasus on their phone. I have been called by Intelligence Officers who tell me, listen please be careful what you are saying on the phone because we are sort of recording the stuff. This is the constant pressure we feel," the former Congress president said during his lecture at Cambridge University on ‘Learning To Listen In The 21st Century’.

In a veiled attack on the ruling dispensation, the Wayanad MP said, "Indian democracy is under pressure and attack.We are facing an attack on the basic structure of the Indian democracy."

"Rampant intimidation of media, judiciary and Opposition in India makes communication with people tough. It is very difficult to communicate with people when you have this type of an assault on the media and democratic structure," he said.

Recalling his 'Bharat Jodo Yatra' from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, the MP said, "I made sure everyone who walked with me felt at home and secure. When you meet somebody, you try to understand their situation and offer advice."

"The idea of listening, observing and doing it persistently is very powerful. Divergent ideas need to interact with each other," he added.

Last year, the Supreme Court took on record the sealed cover report submitted by the independent panel probing the alleged Pegasus snooping.

Twenty-nine phones were examined and malware was found in five, but there's no conclusive proof of Pegasus spyware in them.

(With UNI inputs)