Govt, Opposition lock horns as Parliament remains disrupted

Aditi Tandon
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, July 27

The government and the opposition on Tuesday again locked horns on the issue of Pegasus snooping, with both Houses remaining disrupted for the sixth straight day.

The united opposition repeated its adjournment notice in both Houses demanding suspension of entire business to discuss spying allegations with the government, accusing the opposition of disruption at all costs.

Deputy Leader of Rajya Sabha Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi released two letters Congress leaders Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Mallikarjun Kharge had earlier written to the government demanding a special session to discuss Covid and Covid response.

“The Prime Minister personally called floor leaders to discuss the Covid situation and mitigation. But unfortunately the Congress boycotted that meeting, although other opposition parties attended. Their leaders asked for a special session to discuss Covid and were not present in the meeting the PM called on the issue. They are interested only in disruptions,” Naqvi said after Rajya Sabha was adjourned repeatedly on Tuesday.

Joint opposition leaders appeared together and accused the government of running a dictatorship.

Leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said, “We have been demanding a discussion on Pegasus snooping and farmers issues but the government is not interested. Why is the government running away from accountability on the snooping issue? France, Israel and several other countries have ordered inquiries. Why can’t this government be transparent? To say that the government is ready for any discussion is one thing, but the reality is that they are not ready. Also, we have not been called for structured talks. Let the government call the opposition for talks and find a consensus to run the House. We want Parliament to run. The onus is on the government to find a way to run it. This is a dictatorship where democratic debate is not being allowed.”

TMC’s Sukhendu Shekhar Roy also targeted the government for not conceding to a debate on Pegasus. He said, “Late leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley had famously said that disruption is also part of parliamentary democracy. We are demanding a debate and that must be held.”

The opposition leaders again gave adjournment notices in both Houses on Tuesday, including a notice in Rajya Sabha to suspend the entire business and discuss the Pegasus snooping allegations in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah and institution of a judicial inquiry into the matter.

Kharge said, “The allegations impinge on national security with reports that Army, judges and journalists were spied on. This warrants an urgent debate.”