WHATSAPP SENT SECOND ALERT IN SEPT, FLAGGED 121 TARGETS

NEW DELHI: WhatsApp informed the government in September that121Indiancitizensmayhave been targeted by an Israeli company’sspyware, anofficialatthe mobile messaging services company said, detailing what was a second alert over a possible snooping attempt that came to light earlier in the week.

The official, who asked not to benamed,saidthecompanyhad respondedtotheUnionministry of electronics and information technology’scallsforanexplanation over the kind of breach and whatstepsithadtakentoprotect users.

The two alerts — one in May and the September communication — were reiterated in the response, which was sent ahead oftheNovember4deadlinesetby thegovernment,thispersonsaid, asking not to be named.

Several human rights activists, lawyers and journalists in IndiacameforwardonThursday to say that they had been identified as targets of a phone hack that was allegedly carried out throughthepopularlyusedmessaging application by Israelbased NSO Group.

MUMBAI: The stalemate between thesaffronallies, BharatiyaJanata Party (BJP) and Shiv Sena, overapower-sharingpacttoform the next government in Maharashtra continued on Saturday, even after 10 days of the Assembly election results being announced.

WhiletheBJPexpressedconfidencethattheallieswouldfinally cometogetherandformthenext government by November 6, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP)chiefSharadPawarhelda closed-door meeting with his leaders in Mumbai to explore an alternate possibility of forming the government with Sena.

Pawar, who was on a tour of villages affected by the unseasonalrain,cutshorthisvisit; and according to insiders, told his leaders to talk to Sena and independent legislators.

Pawar, who is scheduled to meet Congress president Sonia GandhionMonday,islookingat theoptionofaNCP-Senagovernment with outside support from

› This mandate is for the saffron alliance [BJP-Sena] and we will form government together, latest by November 6 or 7. SUDHIR MUNGANTIWAR , BJP minister in Maharashtra

Congress, said a senior NCP leader, who did not wish to be named.

Congress leaders from Maharashtra had met Gandhi on Friday and suggested that the party supportanymovetokeepBJPout ofpower,ifSenaiswillingtoform government with NCP.

“State Congress leaders had met Pawarsaheb last week and urged him to take initiative for a non-BJP government in the state,” said the NCP leader. “Pawar had asked them to get a nod from their party leadership first. We have started talking to all non-BJP elements. However, analternategovernmentispossible if Uddhav Thackeray is willingtowalkoutofhisalliancewith BJP. We are looking at all possibilities.”

However,aseniorBJPleader, on condition of anonymity, said an informal communication between the two sides is likely to resumeaftertheweekend,when chief minister Devendra FadnavisandSenachiefUddhavThackerayreturntoMumbaiaftertouring villages affected by unseasonal rain in Vidarbha and Marathwada respectively.