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.
Naveen Dalal, along with another man, had allegedly attacked Umar Khalid at the Constitution Club in Delhi on August 13 last year. At the time, the two men had told the police that they had planned to disrupt the event that was being held at the Constitution Club.
The Mumbai Congress leader, who has lately been at loggerheads with the party leadership, claimed that Mallikarjun Kharge does not care for the country's religious traditions because he is an "atheist".
Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, who is also a senior BJP leader, came out with a statement earlier in the day clarifying that his party or the Sangh Parivar did not have anything to do with the sedition case.
