Farmers Movement Archive

Pegasus fracas stalls LS but impasse ends in RS with discussion on Covid

NEW DELHI: The opposition plans to stall all other proceedings in Rajya Sabha on Tuesday and take up the Pegasus snooping issue against the government went for a toss when Congress agreed to take up a discussion on Covid and Trinamool Congress and other opposition parties went along. The government found a way to end the stalemate at a meeting of leaders presided over by Rajya Sabha chairman M Venkaiah Naidu, when all parties agreed to hold a short discussion on Covid. Some members from opposition parties had submitted notices for discussion on the issue. Leader of the House Piyush Goyal had an informal discussion with opposition leaders and sought their cooperation to resume normalcy. Subsequently, he met Naidu along with the opposition leaders soon after the first adjournment of the House. However, the day had begun with leaders of TMC, AAP, SP, RJD, DMK and YSRCP meeting informally and deciding they would not allow the House to function if any other issue but the Pegasus software issue were to be taken up. In Lok Sabha, the opposition had its way and the Lower House could hardly transact any business for a second day of the monsoon session. On Monday, the opposition had disrupted the proceedings over a variety of issues, including price rise and three farm laws as well as the snooping issue. Earlier in the day, the House was adjourned twice after the opposition created a ruckus over snooping and other issues. Opposition members, including from Congress and TMC, started raising slogans and showing placards to attack the government on the snooping issue as soon as the House met for the day at 11 am. TMC members alleged that party MP and chief minister Mamata Banerjee’s nephew Abhishek Banerjee’s phone number were among the numbers snooped on. YSRCP members also flagged the issue of special status for Andhra Pradesh. Speaker Om Birla tried to calm the House saying it was not right to disrupt the House and the government is ready to answer any question. “Please go back to your seats. I will facilitate a debate on every issue. (But) sloganeering is not right. The government is ready to debate on whatever issues you want to debate on,” he said. But the repeated appeals did not help restore normalcy in the House.

The Times of India

2021-07-21

India