Tag: Pegasus issue

  • Hopeful IT panel will take up Pegasus; officials may have been instructed to skip last meet: Shashi Tharoor

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Chairman of the parliamentary panel on information technology Shashi Tharoor on Sunday said members “disrupted” the committee’s meeting on July 28 as they did not want the Pegasus allegations to be discussed and the officials who were to testify “appear to have been instructed not to attend”, but expressed hope the snooping issue would be taken up by the panel going forward.

    Tharoor, who has written to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla to take action over ministry officials not attending the panel meet, also asserted that the actions of the three officials making “last-minute excuses” to skip the meeting were a “grievous assault” on such panels’ prerogatives to summon witnesses.

    In an interview with PTI, the Congress leader hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his remarks that the Opposition was insulting Parliament, saying the government’s refusal to be answerable in any way, shape, or form on an issue of national and international importance, has made a “mockery of democracy and of the ordinary Indians the government claims to represent”.

    Avoiding discussion and accountability is the real insult to Parliament, the former Union minister and Thiruvananthapuram MP asserted.

    Asked if going forward the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information Technology will be able to take up the Pegasus snooping issue, Tharoor said for two years now the IT committee has been conducting discussions on “Citizens’ data privacy and security and “cyber security, topics that also featured in its agenda under the previous chairman,P’s Anurag Thakur.

    The Pegasus issue therefore clearly falls under the purview of the IT committee and so it is only expected that its members will ask questions about it when these topics arise, he said.

    “It is no secret that the Committee’s meeting on its established agenda was disrupted byP members who did not want Pegasus to be discussed.

    It was unprecedented for 10 members to attend and to refuse to sign the register in order to deny the Committee a quorum,” Tharoor said.

    The panel was to hold a meeting on July 28 during which several issues including the Pegasus snooping allegations were expected to be discussed.

    It had also summoned officials from the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Communications (Department of Telecommunications) on the subject ”Citizens data security and privacy”.

    However, the meeting could not take place as theP members of the panel did not sign the attendance register, even though they were present in the meeting room, leading to a lack of quorum.

    E-mail communications were received by the committee branch of the secretariat on July 28 afternoon from the three ministries/department that their representatives would not be able to appear before the committee due to Parliament-related work.

    “For good measure the three officials who were to testify that day appear to have been instructed not to attend, making last-minute excuses, which is a grievous assault on the prerogatives of parliamentary committees to summon witnesses,” Tharoor said.

    Asserting that accountability to Parliament is a cornerstone of democracy, Tharoor alleged that it is increasingly being tossed aside in the current regime’s “headlong rush to autocracy”.

    “Despite this disappointing approach, I am hopeful that we will be able to take up the question going forward,” he said.

    Asked if a joint parliamentary committee would be more suited to take up the Pegasus matter, Tharoor said, “I am not sure what a JPC can do that the IT Committee cannot.

    Nonetheless, I proposed from the start that what we really need is a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry headed by a serving or recently-retired judge to conduct a fair, impartial, and thorough investigation of the Pegasus issue.

    ” The judiciary has powers, and a degree of immunity from politics, that would make it better suited than a committee of MPs to explore all aspects of the Pegasus question, Tharoor argued.

    An international media consortium has reported that over 300 verified Indian mobile phone numbers, including that of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, union ministers Prahlad Singh Patel and Ashwini Vaishnaw, businessman Anil Ambani, and at least 40 journalists, were on the list of potential targets for surveillance using Israeli firm NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware.

    On comparisons of the Pegasus snooping row with the Watergate scandal that rocked Richard Nixon’s US presidency in the 1970s, Tharoor said though the parallels between the two episodes are many, the significant difference is precisely in the consequences it has had for the respective regimes that were in power when these events unfolded.

    “Whereas the US Congress’ investigation of Watergate led to the resignation of President Nixon himself, our Parliament has been denied even a discussion of the issue, barring the tepid statement by the new IT Minister who was himself on the list of those who were potentially targeted using Pegasus on the floor of the House,” Tharoor said.

    He said Pegasus is an issue that, given its grave implications for the country’s internal security and individual liberties, should have been addressed by either the Home Minister or the PM himself.

    Tharoor said the Opposition’s hopes rest with the Supreme Court, which is to hear the matter on Tuesday.

     

  • Lok Sabha adjourned for the day amid Opposition din; retrospective tax bill passed

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day shortly after noon on Friday after passage of two bills, including the one which proposes to end a controversial retrospective tax policy, amid protests by Opposition members over Pegasus and other issues.

    As the House convened for the day at 11 am, Speaker Om Birla took up the Question Hour.

    However, the members resorted to sloganeering over Pegasus snooping controversy and farm laws.

    As the protests continued, the Speaker urged the agitating members to go back to their seats.

    The proceedings lasted for around 15 minutes after which Birla adjourned the House till noon.

    When the House resumed at noon, Rajendra Agrawal, who was in the chair, allowed discussions on ‘The Taxation Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2021’, which proposed amendments to the Income Tax and Finance Act 2012 to make it clear that no tax demand will be raised for any indirect transfer of Indian assets if the transaction was undertaken prior to May 28, 2012.

    After a brief statement by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and clause-wise consideration of the bill, it was passed by voice vote.

    Similarly, another bill ‘The Central Universities (Amendment) Bill, 2021’, to set up a central university in Ladakh was passed by the House following a brief statement by Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

    After the two bills were passed, the chair announced the adjournment of the House for the day.

    Lok Sabha will now resume on Monday after the weekend break.

  • Lok Sabha adjourned till noon amid protest by Opposition members

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till noon on Friday amid protest by Opposition members over Pegasus and other issues.

    As the House convened for the day, Speaker Om Birla took up Question Hour.

    However, the members resorted to sloganeering over Pegasus snooping controversy and farm laws.

    As the protests continued, the Speaker urged the agitating members to go back to their seats.

    The proceedings lasted for around 15 minutes after which Birla adjourned the House till noon.

     

  • Opposition shoots off joint letter demanding snooping discussion

    By Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The Opposition on Wednesday toughened its stand over discussion on Pegasus and said the government’s attempts to divide their unity has failed.In a joint statement issued by the Opposition and signed by floor leaders of 14 parties, they said they stand firm and united on their demand for a discussion on Pegasus issue in both the Houses, to be replied by the home minister, as this has national security implications.The Opposition has also conveyed that discussions on farmers’ agitations arising from the three anti-farmer laws should follow the discussion on Pegasus. AAP, which skipped the Opposition meeting Tuesday, also signed the statement.

    Urging the Centre to respect Parliamentary democracy, the Opposition leaders said: “It is unfortunate that the government has unleashed a misleading campaign to malign the combined Opposition and blame it for the continued disruptions 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.”Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu held meetings with leaders from the Opposition and treasury benches to end the stalemate and said all issues can be taken up for discussion after agreement between the two sides.

    6 TMC MPs suspended

    As uproar continued in the Upper House, Naidu ordered 6 TMC MPs to withdraw for the day, for they entered the well of the House and disobeyed the Chair. He said their conduct was disorderly in the House. The MPs include Dola Sen, Nadimul Haque, Abir Ranjan Biswas, Shanta Chhetri, Arpita Ghosh and Mausam Noor. Another TMC MP, Santanu Sen has already been suspended for the entire monsoon session for snatching and tearing a statement from IT minister Ashwini   hand on Pegasus.In a high decibel drama, four of the six suspended MPs tried to enter Rajya Sabha after the House was adjourned for the day, but were stopped by security officers. Allegedly, there wsa a minor scuffle. Sources said a security official was injured and that action is likely to be taken against the MPs.  

    No change in CAA, informs minister

    The Centre is not amending the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), to grant nationality to members of communities other than those mentioned in the draft, the government informed Parliament on Wednesday. Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai said no proposal to amend the act is under consideration.

  • Congress MPs give adjournment notices to discuss Pegasus issue in Lok Sabha

    By ANI
    NEW DELHI: Amid the logjam over the ‘Pegasus project’ media report, several Congress MPs Manickam Tagore and Manish Tewari on Wednesday gave adjournment notices in the Lok Sabha to discuss the issue.

    The Opposition has alleged that names of several Indian politicians, journalists, lawyers, and activists have appeared on the leaked list of potential targets for surveillance by an unidentified agency using Pegasus spyware. This comes following reports published in The Wire.

    Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday urged the Opposition parties to stay united to fight back the party in power at the Centre. He was addressing the breakfast meeting held by the Opposition parties.

    Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Tuesday urged both the Central government and the Opposition leaders to collectively resolve the present stalemate in the Parliament.

    For the last few days, the business of both the Houses of the Parliament remained majorly disrupted due to the continuous ruckus created by the Opposition over issues including farmers’ protest, Pegasus spyware, COVID-19 and inflation.

    The Monsoon Session commenced on July 19, 2021, and will continue till August 13, 2021. (ANI)

  • BJP’s quorum ploy to block panel meet on Pegasus

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI:  The ongoing stand-off in Parliament cast its shadow on the Standing Committee on Information and Technology on Wednesday, with BJP MPs executing a well scripted strategy to deny any opportunity to the Shashi Tharoor-led panel to take up discussion on the raging Pegasus issue. They also shielded absentee officials from being hauled up for contempt by ensuring the meeting could not be convened because of lack of quorum. 

    While the meeting’s details are stated to be confidential, two panel members, BJP’s Nishikant Dubey and Trinamool’s Mahua Maitra, fought it out on Twitter over verbal abuse. Dubey accused Moitra of abusing him at the venue of the meeting. “By hurling the Bihari gunda (goon) abuse, Mahua Moitra has abused the people from North India and the Hindi speaking belt,” tweeted Dubey. Moitra wondered what the fuss about was all about, when the meeting didn’t take place due to lack of quorum.

    According to Parliament staffers, perhaps for the first time in the history of Standing Committee meetings, none of the summoned officials from the ministries of home and electronics and information technology turned up for the meeting. If an official is busy, he/she is represented by the next in hierarchy.

    When contacted, home ministry officers refused to reveal the reason behind their no-show. “Had the meeting taken place, the panel could have issued contempt notices to the absentee officials. This was thwarted by BJP MPs, who refused to sign the attendance register, which is necessary to establish quorum.

    They also ensured that other members were not called in from the Opposition to get around the quorum issue by staying put at the venue until a frustrated Tharoor called it off,” sources said. Trinamool MPs allegedly shouted at the BJP, saying “Gundaraj hai kya, dadagiri hai kya?”

    BJP MPs, sources said, apprehended the panel could have issued directions on Pegasus, giving more teeth to the Opposition to go after the ruling NDA dispensation, hence the stalling.

  • Won’t allow Parliament to function till Pegasus issue is discussed: Opposition parties

    By Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: The Opposition parties have unanimously decided to continue with their protest in both the Houses of Parliament over the alleged use of spyware Pegasus by the Centre to track politicians, journalists, and other prominent persons.

    Leaders of the Opposition parties in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha met on Tuesday morning before the Parliament proceedings started. It was agreed upon that the Centre should take up the issue of Pegasus.

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi has convened an all-party meeting Tuesday at 6 pm where top health ministry officials will give a presentation to some MPs on the matter. Congress and Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) have decided not to attend the meeting.

    The Congress demanded that the presentation should happen in Central Hall so that all the members could attend it. However, SAD said that they will boycott it pending their demand to repeal the three farm laws.

    Congress Chief Whip in Lok Sabha K Suresh said that it has been decided that the Opposition will collectively continue to protest inside both the Houses on the matter from Thursday. Parliament is closed Wednesday on the occasion of Bakrid.

    ALSO READ | Pegasus row: Congress demands probe by Joint Parliamentary Committee

    Lok Sabha did not function on Tuesday while it was agreed upon in the Rajya Sabha to take up the short discussion on the management of the Covid pandemic.

    “Discussion in Rajya Sabha was agreed upon under special circumstances keeping in mind the importance of the matter and not participating in the discussion would have projected the Opposition unsympathetic to people who have suffered due to pandemic,” said a senior Congress leader in Rajya Sabha.

    The leader further said that the Business Advisory Committee under the Chairmanship of Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu agreed to take up the discussion earlier while the Pegasus report having named prominent political leaders being snooped by the government came later.   

    “We will not allow the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha function till the Pegasus issue is discussed in the House. Today is different as Rajya Sabha took the discussion on Covid as the Centre does politics on the issue. Pegasus is the number 1 issue, it is a national security issue and no compromise on that,” said Derek O’Brien, TMC Rajya Sabha floor leader.

    He said that repeal of three farm laws is also the topmost priority for the party and would continue pressing for the same in the Parliament.