Seven parties write to President on farm bills, Pegasus
Item
Title
Seven parties write to President on farm bills, Pegasus
Description
NEW DELHI: Seven opposition parties have written to President Ram Nath Kovind seeking his intervention to direct the government to discuss farmers’ issues and Pegasus spyware report in the ongoing Monsoon session of Parliament as they apprised him of these “two disturbing developments”. BSP, RLP, SAD, National Conference, CPI and CPI(M), besides NCP, are the signatories to the letter. The main opposition party Congress is not among the signatories. “We are writing to you to seek an appointment to apprise you of two disturbing developments including the complete stonewalling of demands of the peasantry to repeal the three farm laws as well as use of Israeli spyware Pegasus,” the letter read. SAD’s Harsimrat Badal said it is “unfortunate” that farmers have died while protesting but the Centre is not ready to discuss their issues. The use of Pegasus software “to tape telephone numbers of politicians, journalists and activists besides known detractors of the NDA government has sent shockwaves amongst civil society”, the letter to President Kovind said.
Publisher
The Times of India
Date
2021-07-28
Coverage
India