Pegasus row, farm stir to dominate 2nd week of monsoon session

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, July 25

The Pegasus snooping row and farmers’ issues are expected to dominate parliamentary discourse tomorrow as the second week of the monsoon session commences.

‘PM must speak up’

The PM must make a statement on Pegasus in Parliament. Why the Indian government could not initiate a probe if France and Israel could. - P Chidambaram, Congress Leader

The Congress-led opposition will move an adjournment motion in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha demanding a detailed discussion on the allegations that a weapons grade spyware was used to snoop on some Indians.

“Benefit to friends, spying on opponents,” Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said on the Pegasus spying issue on Sunday, with Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge expected to evolve a joint strategy of non-NDA floor leaders in the upper house and demand a detailed statement on the issue from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Congress veteran and former finance minister P Chidambaram said today that the PM must make a statement on Pegasus in Parliament, explaining whether or not the spyware was used.

Chidambaram also asked why the Indian government could not initiate a probe if France and Israel could. The former minister noted that a joint parliamentary committee probe would be better than a probe by the Information and Technology parliamentary standing committee.

BJP president JP Nadda termed as baseless the Pegasus snooping allegations and hit out at the opposition parties over it saying that there was no issue left with them.

He also said although the Centre was ready to hold talks over different issues, the “disappointed” and “issueless” opposition parties led by the Congress were disrupting the proceedings of Parliament.

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