Tuesday, 10 August 2021 | PNS | New Delhi
As the Pegasus controversy continued to rock Parliament on Monday, the Defence Ministry has said that it has not made any transaction with the Israeli firm NSO, which is also the vendor of the Pegasus spyware.
The statement was part of the Ministry’s answer in the Rajya Sabha in response to a question by V Sivadasan (CPM). He sought to know whether the Government has carried out any transaction with the NSO Group Technologies and if so, the details of it.
“Ministry of Defence has not had any transaction with NSO Group Technologies,” said Minister of State for Defence Ajay Bhatt.
Incidentally, the Government last week had refused to entertain in the Rajya Sabha a question seeking details whether the Government had entered into a contract with the NSO group. The Government took the plea “the ongoing issue of Pegasus” is sub-judice after “several PILs have been filed in the SC.”
The Government wrote to the Rajya Sabha secretariat that a Provisionally Admitted Question (PAQ) should not be admitted as the Pegasus matter was under scrutiny by the courts. The Government referred to Rule 47 of the House regarding the conditions for admission of a question. The question was moved by Binoy Viswam(CPI).
Earlier, IT and Communications Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw had dismissed reports on the use of Pegasus to snoop on Indians, saying the allegations levelled just ahead of the Monsoon Session were aimed at maligning Indian democracy.
In a suo moto statement in the Lok Sabha, Vaishnaw had said with several checks and balances being in place, “any sort of illegal surveillance” by unauthorised persons is not possible in India.
Despite the Defence Minister’s clarification, both Houses of Parliament were paralysed for better part of the day due to vociferous protest by the Opposition demanding a debate on the Pegasus row.
As the Lok Sabha reconvened at 2 pm after being adjourned four times before in the day, Opposition members trooped into the Well.
Rama Devi, who was in the Chair, urged the members to go back to their seats and let the discussion on COVID-19 take place. As the protesting members were unwilling to relent, the House was adjourned for the day.
When the House met for the day in the morning, Opposition members sought to raise various issues, including the Pegasus spyware controversy and started shouting slogans following which the proceedings were adjourned till 11:30 am. When the Question Hour resumed at 11:30 am, Opposition members trooped into Well. Rajendra Agrawal, who was in the Chair, asked members to go back to their seats. “Question Hour is a medium to discuss issues, please participate in this,” Agrawal said. Soon, he adjourned the House till noon.
Disruptions and repeated adjournments continued to mar the Rajya Sabha proceedings also on Monday on the issue of the Pegasus controversy, farm laws and price rise. Though Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu said he had allowed discussion on farmers’ issue and price rise, the Opposition did not allow the house to function.
The proceedings were adjourned twice in the pre-lunch session following uproar by the Opposition.
