Eighteen leaders from 14 Opposition parties issued a joint statement on Wednesday demanding a discussion over the Pegasus spyware issue. They said the Pegasus row had “national security dimensions”. They said Parliament should discuss the matter. They also demanded a separate discussion on the farm laws after debating the Pegasus issue.
“It is unfortunate that the government has unleashed a misleading campaign to malign the combined opposition and blame it for the continued disruption in the 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,” the joint statement said.
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The statement finally said, “The opposition once again urges the government to respect parliamentary democracy and accept the discussions.”
The following parliamentarians signed the joint statement:
- Mallikarjun Kharge, Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha (INC)
- Sharad Pawar (NCP)
- TR Balu (DMK)
- Anand Sharma (INC)
- Ramgopal Yadav (SP)
- Derek O’ Brien (TMC)
- Sanjay Raut (SS)
- Kalyan Banerjee (TMC)
- Vinayak Raut (SS)
- Tiruchi Siva (DMK)
- Manoj Jha (RJD)
- Elamaram Kareem (CPI(M))
- Sushil Gupta (AAP)
- ET Mohd. Basheer (IUML)
- Binoy Viswam (CPI)
- NK Premachandran (RSP)
- MV Shreyams Kumar (LJD)
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The Pegasus row and the farm laws have been the reason why most of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament has been disrupted. The opposition has been demanding a discussion from the first day itself.
Aside from political leaders, various journalists, doctors, lawyers, and activists have allegedly been victims of the Centre snooping using military-grade spyware. However, the government has completely denied the report and termed it as a conspiracy to defame the ruling dispensation.
