Government stalling debate on Pegasus to push through bills: Mallikarjun Kharge

This is the first time 15 parties came together on all the issues; we are fighting for common cause, says Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha

As the monsoon session of Parliament winds to a close with key bills passed in both Houses without any debate as the Opposition continued to protest and demand a discussion over allegations of snooping using the Pegasus spyware, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge accused the Narendra Modi government of ‘deliberately’ passing bills in the din. Our intention is to run the House and discuss all the issues — , farmers issue, inflation and the COVID. In our all party meeting also, the agenda was to give priority to these issues. When we give the notice under Rule 267, they could have simply fixed the time. Our first preference is Pegasus because it is about survival of democracy, our fundamental rights. If I lose my freedom of expressions, my privacy, then what remains? If that freedom is there, only then I can about talk farmers or other issues affecting the country. They [the government] are taking and threatening the Opposition leaders, spying on people in the Army, even judges were not spared. Those issues are important. That’s why in our first meeting all four issues were taken as priority. But the government isn’t ready to discuss Pegasus. When so many countries around the world are inquiring into it, what is the hitch for this government? We want a either Prime Minister or the Home Minister to sit in the discussion and reply to our queries. But to dilute this issue, they asked Information Technology Minister to reply.