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.
The firefight at Sopore was the second encounter that erupted in Kashmir in less than 12 hours after an exchange of fire between between terrorists and security forces at Ganapora area of Shopian district in south Kashmir earlier on Friday.
Deputy Commissioner of Police, Shahdara, R. Sathiyasundaram said that Vivek Vihar police station personnel arrested the two fraudsters -- Ritik Kumar Singh, of Bihar's Ara district and Sandeep Panday, a resident of Uttar Pradesh's Ghazipur -- who used to make promises to provide oxygen cylinder at doorsteps, received money through digital transactions, and then, disappeared.
On the 130th day, the cumulative Covid vaccination coverage stood at 20,06,62,456 doses, including 15,71,49,593 first doses and 4,35,12,863 second doses, as per data available at 7 a.m. on Wednesday. India is the second country after the US, which took 124 days, to achieve this level.
At several places including outside the Delhi borders, the farmers burnt effigies of the Central government, hoisted black flags on their homes, farms or vehicles to condemn the farm laws and demanding their rollback as over 470 farmers' lives have been lost in the past six months.
Doctors suspect that the sudden surge in mucormycosis, or “black fungus” infection, may be linked to the use of steroids to treat COVID-19. It can result in breathing problems and coughing blood.
India broke its own previous record of Covid deaths in 24 hours after the the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare on Wednesday said the nation recorded 4,529 deaths -- the highest number of fatalities from Covid infection.
