Tag: Pegasus spyware row

  • V-P Naidu suspends TMC MPs for the day, Rajya Sabha adjourned till 2 pm

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Wednesday suspended some TMC MPs from participating in House proceedings for the rest of the day as they along with other opposition MPs disrupted House proceedings over Pegasus spying issue.

    The proceedings of the House were adjourned till 2 pm as slogan-shouting TMC and other opposition MPs trooped into the well of the House, some holding placards, to demand a discussion on the issue of Israeli-made, military-grade Pegasus spyware being used to snoop on opposition leaders, government critics and journalists.

    Naidu first asked members to go back to their seats and then threatened to invoke rule 255 against those holding placards.

    As the members refused to budge, he ordered that those “disobeying the chair and raising placards shall leave the House under rule 255.”

    TMC members who were holding placard included Dola Sen, Arpita Ghosh and Nadeem ul Haq. He, however, did not name anyone and said Rajya Sabha Secretariat will give the list.

    Earlier soon after taking of oath by new member Jawhar Sircar and laying of official documents on the table of the House, Naidu said though he has not admitted notices given under rule 267 by Ramgopal Yadav and Vishambhar Prasad Nishad of the Samajwadi Party and V Sivadasan of the CPI(M) over farmers agitation over three farm laws, a discussion on the issue under a different rule has been admitted.

    “I have gone through it. It is an ongoing issue but important. So it is admitted for discussion under other provision,” he said.

    A notice under rule 267 calls for setting aside of the business of the day to take up discussion on the issue being raised.

    Naidu, however, rejected 267 notices by Sukhendu Sekhar Roy (TMC), Mallikarjun Kharge and K C Venugopal (both Congress), CPI(M)’s Elamaram Kareem and V Sivadasan and Binoy Viswam of the CPI over the Peagus issue.

    “Now there is agreement about farmers’ agitation. And also about price rise, economic situation. The government has also expressed willingness to discuss. Let us discuss the farmers’ issues. Let us discuss the economic situation, price rise and other issues,” he said.

    Just then TMC and other MPs holding placards rushed into the well.

    Naidu said this is not the way.

    “Please go back to your seats.”

    “All these members who are in the well of the House with placards. All of them are named under rule 255. I direct these members who are in the well of the House to go back to their seats, otherwise, you are named and you are suspended for the day,” he said.

    But the MPs refused to budge.

    “Please obey the chair (and) go back to your seats,” he said as opposition MPs shouted, “We want discussion on Pegasus.”

    Naidu then asked for the names of the MPs holding placards.

    As Rajya Sabha Secretariat started collecting names, Naidu said, “Whoever is in the well, disobeying the chair and then raising these placards, they are all asked to leave the House under rule 255.”

    MPs named under rule 255 have to withdraw from the House proceedings for the rest of the day.

    “You know what will happen. Secretariat will give the list,” he said before adjourning the proceedings till 2 pm. Even after the House proceedings were adjourned, the TMC and other opposition MPs did not leave the House.

  • Rahul Gandhi invites opposition parties leaders to meeting to chalk out strategy on Pegasus row

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: Amid the ongoing stalemate in Parliament, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has invited leaders of opposition parties to a breakfast meeting at the Constitution Club on Tuesday to chalk out a joint strategy on the Pegasus snooping issue.

    Sources said the meeting is being held to forge unity among the opposition ranks on the issue.

    All opposition MPs and floor leaders of various parties have been invited for the meeting.

    The opposition has been demanding a discussion in Parliament on the Pegasus row and its leaders have been giving adjournment notices everyday.

    The government has been saying that the opposition is creating a “non-issue” and the IT minister has already given a reply in both Houses of Parliament.

    The sources added that an invite has also been sent to Trinamool Congress, which has been skipping all meetings convened by Rahul Gandhi so far.

  • Congress and Trinamool shake hands in Bengal ahead of Mamata Banerjee’s Delhi trip

    By Express News Service
    KOLKATA: A new equation between the Trinamool Congress and the Congress appears to have emerged in West Bengal as the two bitter political rivals are coming closer on the issue of Pegasus snooping.

    A day before TMC chairperson Mamata Banerjee’s visit to Delhi and her plan to meet the opposition party leaders, party’s national spokesperson Derek O’Brien shared Congress’s tweet displaying Bengal CM’s nephew and party’s national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee as a victim of Pegasus spyware snooping. The vice president of Congress’s Bengal chapter Diptiman Ghosh said the party has already extended its hand to the TMC.

    O’Brien retweeted Congress’s tweet which said, “PM Modi took the adage, ‘keep your enemies closer’’ a little too far. #PegasusSnoopgate” The tweet, displaying Abhishek’s photo, said, “Aap chronology samajhiye. Target of Pegasus spyware. Who? Abhishek Banerjee-nephew of Mamata Banerjee. When? 2021. Why? West Bengal elections. Modi Govt’s insecurities are endless.”

    #KhelaHobe https://t.co/yi8bs0Q3XV
    — Derek O’Brien | ডেরেক ও’ব্রায়েন (@derekobrienmp) July 25, 2021

    The word “chronology” was used frequently by Union Home Minister ahead of the 2021 West Bengal Assembly elections when he elaborated implementation of contentious Citizenship (Amendment) Act (CAA) and National Register of Citzens (NRC). “First the CAA will come. All refugees will get citizenship. Then NRC will come…understand the chronology,” Shah had said repeatedly.

    The Congress in West Bengal also softened its stance on the issue of dealing with the ruling TMC. The state Congress president had earlier said that the party would not field any candidate against Mamata Banerjee in Bhowanipore Assembly by elections as the chief minister will have to get elected as she lost in Nandigram.

    On Friday, state Congress vice president Ghosh said, “Mamata Banerjee faced many challenges to reach her today’s position in politics. If she urged all anti-BJP political forces to come under one umbrella, we are all set to respond. On this issue, we should echo the same. We have already extended our hands to the TMC.”

    Mamata will leave for Delhi on July 21 and and she has announced her plans to meet leaders of non-BJP parties. She also requested NCP chief Sharad Pawar and Congress leader P Chidambaram to arrange a meeting while giving a call to uproot the BJP from the Centre in the 2024 general elections.

    TMC leaders admitted that the party’s political stance has been changed after the party’s stupendous victory in the recent Assembly elections and Mamata’s emergence as an anti-BJP leader in the country. “She is now eyeing the 2024 Lok Sabha polls and for this, she is gearing up for taking the TMC into the arena of national politics,” said a TMC leader.