Both Houses of the Parliament – Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned amid uproar by the Opposition leaders over the alleged Pegasus snooping row.
The Opposition MPs created a ruckus when Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw tried to make a statement regarding the compromise of phone data of some persons as reported in the media. TMC MP Shantanu Sen snatched the statement on Pegasus row from IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw triggering a heated exchange with Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri. The government has decided to seek the TMC MPs suspension on Friday.
Latest Updates:
– It is sad if a ruckus is being created in the Parliament. If even during the time of Covid, some want to play politics and not join in discussing issues, it is unfortunate. If a statement is being given, it is shameful to tear papers: Anurag Thakur, I&B Minister
– Union Govt will request the chair in Rajya Sabha to suspend TMC MP Shantanu Sen for misbehaving with IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw while he was reading the statement on ‘Pegasus Project’ report: Sources
– Government to bring privilege motion against TMC MPs who misbehaved with IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw while he was reading the statement on ‘Pegasus Project’ report in Rajya Sabha: Sources
– Lok Sabha has been adjourned till 11 am on Friday.
– A meeting of Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Leader of the House in Rajya Sabha Piyush Goyal, IT Minister Ashwin Vaishnaw, ministers Dharmendra Pradhan and V Murleedharan is underway on misbehaviour with the IT Minister by TMC’s Shantanu Sen in Rajya Sabha.
-BJP condemned the TMC and said that the opposition has ‘damaged the country’s reputation’. “The Opposition especially members of TMC and Congress will stoop so low as to while being political opponents, they’ll do things to damage the country’s reputation. Today in the House one of the members snatched papers from the Minister who was making a statement,” MoS MEA Meenakshi Lekhi said.
– “The press reports of July 18 also appear to be an attempt to malign the Indian Democracy and its well-established institutions,” says IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on ‘Pegasus Project’ report, in Rajya Sabha.
– In the past, similar claims were made regarding the use of Pegasus on WhatsApp. Those reports had no factual basis and were categorically denied by all parties, including in the Supreme Court: IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on ‘Pegasus Project’ in Rajya Sabha
– In Rajya Sabha: After the adjournment of the House, a verbal feud ensued between BJP MPs and TMC MPs after MP Shantanu Sen snatched papers from the minister and tore it; marshals intervened to bring the situation under control.
-Heated words were exchanged between Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri & TMC MP Shantanu Sen after the latter snatched a paper from IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw while he was speaking on ‘Pegasus Project’ report in Rajya Sabha.
– TMC MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy today evaded a question on the MPs of the party snatching away a paper from the hands of IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and tearing it, while he was speaking on the ‘Pegasus Project’ media report in the House.
Heated words were exchanged between Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri and TMC MP Shantanu Sen after the latter snatched a paper from IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw while he was speaking on the ‘Pegasus Project’ report in Rajya Sabha.
– It seems that some people of the Opposition, notably some of the TMC MPs, got up and took the paper from the hands of the Minister (IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw while he was speaking on ‘Pegasus’) and tore it up. This is completely unseemly behaviour, said Swapan Dasgupta, BJP Rajya Sabha MP.
– TMC MPs tore papers as IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw tried to read a statement on alleged snooping using Pegasus software.
– Rajya Sabha has been adjourned till tomorrow amid uproar in the House by the Opposition MPs which began as soon as Electronics and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw rose to speak on the ‘Pegasus Project’ media report.
– Congress MP KC Venugopal had moved a privilege motion against an answer in the Rajya Sabha by MoS (Health) Bharati Pravin Pawar that no one has died because of non-availability of oxygen.
– Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) MPs today protested over the three farm laws and showed placards to Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar at the Parliament premises.
The Indian government and Israeli surveillance company NSO Group, which sells Pegasus spyware worldwide, have refuted the reports.
– Pegasus malware, created by Israel’s NSO Group, has been hogging the limelight since at least 2016 when researchers said it had been used to spy on a dissident in the United Arab Emirates.
– The IT Minister had on Monday asserted that there is ‘no substance’ in the media report regarding the use of Pegasus on WhatsApp, adding that the report was an attempt to malign Indian democracy and its well-established institutions.
