Oppn issues statement demanding discussion on Pegasus snooping issue
Darpan News Desk IANS, 04 Aug, 2021 12:29 PM
New Delhi, Aug 4 (IANS) Eighteen leaders of the like-minded opposition parties on Wednesday issued a joint statement and demanded discussion on the Pegasus snooping issue.
The statement reads: "The opposition parties stand firm and united on their demand for a discussion on the Pegasus issue in both the Houses, replied to by the Home Minister, as this has national security dimensions."
The opposition has also unequivocally conveyed that 'the discussion on the farmers' issues and agitations arising from the three anti-farmers and black agri-laws should follow the discussion on Pegasus'.
"It is unfortunate that the government has unleashed a misleading campaign to malign the combined opposition and blame it for the continued disruption in Parliament. The responsibility for the deadlock lies squarely at the doorsteps of the government, which remains arrogant and obdurate and refuses to accept the opposition's demand for an informed debate in both the Houses." it said
The opposition also said, "It urges the government to respect parliamentary democracy and accept the discussions."
The letter was issued jointly by Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha; Sharad Pawar, NCP; T.R. Balu, DMK; Anand Sharma, Congress, Ramgopal Yadav, SP; Derek O' Brien, Trinamool; Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena; Kalyan Banerjee, Trinamool, Vinayak Raut, Shiv Sena; Tiruchi Siva, DMK; Manoj Jha, RJD; Elamaram Kareem, CPI-M, Sushil Gupta, AAP; E.T. Mohd. Basheer, IUML; Hasnain Masoodi, N; Binoy Viswam, CPI; N.K. Premachandran, RSP; and M.V, Shreyams Kumar, LJD.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday rode a bicycle to the parliament in protest of rise in fuel prices particularly petrol which has crossed Rs 100 per litre mark in various parts of the country.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that opposition parties are insulting parliament and the constitution by disrupting it. Prime Minister Modi was speaking at BJP's parliamentary party meeting.
While launching the vision card for Delhi for the next 25 years, Kejriwal said the initiative is to prepare a roadmap for the development of the city in all sectors, including health and education.
The journalists body also sought issuance of guidelines on surveillance on Indian citizens and safeguarding them from electronic surveillance, spying and hacking.
In a written reply to an unstarred question in the Lower House, the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai, said that three cases have been registered by the Delhi Police in connection with the violent attacks on students and some teachers on the JNU campus last year.
