Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh has asked all parties to form a Joint Parliamentary Committee to investigate a snooping row said to have affected Indian WhatsApp users.

Singh, a former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh, said in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday that the issue was "connected to our fundamental rights and national security".

Meanwhile, Union Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said Indian and foreign digital players should understand that the safety and security of Indians was of prime importance.

He warned them to install appropriate security walls or face action.

RS Prasad in Rajya Sabha: Digital players,both Indian & foreign are welcomed to contribute in growing market but must understand that safety & security of Indians is of prime importance.They must erect appropriate security walls to ensure this, or appropriate action will be taken https://t.co/vRb3PzS15U ANI (@ANI) November 28, 2019

WhatsApp, a Facebook-owned company, has said Indian journalists and human rights activists were among those spied upon by unidentified entities, using an Israeli spyware: Pegasus.

WhatsApp has expressed regret over the Pegasus attack, and said it sought closer engagement with the government over the issue.

Inputs from agencies