Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Friday launched a blistering attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and in the process provided a handle to the BJP to launch a counter-attack. His statement that “only the corrupt need to fear Modi” was picked by the ruling party leaders and tom-tommed as a compliment for the prime minister.

Also read: Rahul Gandhi says his phone was tapped, demands SC probe against Modi

“My phone is tapped, it is clearly tapped. Not only this phone, all my phones are tapped,” Rahul Gandhi said, accusing the Modi government of “treason” over Israeli Pegasus spyware, which enables tracking through hacked phones and can be sold only to governments.

He, however, said: “I am not a ‘potential target’ and explained why.

“I am not afraid. I don’t get intimidated. In this country, if you are corrupt and a thief, you will be afraid of Modi. If you are neither of those, you have nothing to be afraid of,” he told reporters.

Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma, who famously took a dog dig at Rahul Gandhi while switching to the BJP in 2015, was quick to react.

Also read: ‘Coz he knows your Mann Ki Baat’: Internet reacts to Pegasus row

“Even Rahul Gandhi admits that corrupt people have fear of Modi Govt. Good to see him speak truth for a change, hope it doesn’t turn out to be a one time thing (sic),” he tweeted, sharing a video of the Congress leader saying those words.

The similar tweet-jibe was posted by BJP’s IT cell head, Amit Malviya, who said in Hindi that “For once Rahul Gandhi has spoken the truth”.

Rahul Gandhi, however, spoke at length accusing the ruling party and prime minister of using the spyware for political purposes.

“Pegasus is classified by the Israeli state as a weapon and that weapon is supposed to be used against terrorists. The prime minister and the home minister have used this weapon against the Indian state and our institutions. They have used it politically, they have used it in Karnataka..,” Gandhi said, asking for a court-monitored inquiry into snooping allegations.

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The government has rejected the demand, saying,”We have clarified everything in the spyware case. There is no issue for any probe.”

As per the media reports, at least 50,000 people, including journalists, human rights activists and judicial authorities, were targeted by the Pegasus spyware.