Congress set to target Centre on Pegasus issue during Budget Session

A visual of Rajya Sabha during the monsoon session. File Pic

As the Union Budget Session begins on Monday, the Congress has planned to target the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government on the issue of Pegasus snooping.

Speaking with ANI, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge slammed the Centre and said that the Monsoon Session of the Parliament was affected due to the Pegasus issue.

"We had been saying from the beginning. Monsoon Session was affected due to this; the ruling party had said that Opposition isn't allowing Parliament to function, but the truth has come out," he said.

"We will raise this issue, Opposition has to agree on how to take it forward," he added.

Claiming that the Pegasus is undermining India's democratic structure, freedom of speech, Kharge said, "The government is snatching people's freedom by spying on Opposition leaders, Judiciary, and even journalists and bureaucrats."

The Congress leader requested all Opposition parties to "unite and raise the issue of Pegasus" in the House with unanimity. "Congress party, after discussing with the Opposition parties, will make this strategy and target the Central government," he said.

Apart from the Pegasus issue, Kharge said that the party will raise issues such as inflation, unemployment among others.

"Today there'll be President's address and Budget to be presented tomorrow. Everyone's ready to discuss these but new issues and issues already there - inflation, unemployment, farmers' issue, crimes against women and Dalits - will be raised from time to time," he said.

Meanwhile, Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury yesterday wrote to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla on the Pegasus issue.

Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, in his letter, demanded initiation of privilege motion against Union Information and Technology Minister Ashwani Vaishnav and said that the IT Minister had "misled the Parliament in the Pegasus spying case."

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