The Pegasus spyware, special status for Bihar and protests over unemployment were among the key issues that figured in the Lok Sabha on Thursday during the debate on Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address.
Taking part in the debate, Congress MP from Tamil Nadu Manickam Tagore said when Prime Minister Narendra Modi replies to the debate next week, he should state whether he had purchased the Israeli spyware during his visit to the country earlier and if he had ‘authorised’ its use against politicians and journalists among others.
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BJP ally Janata Dal (United) leader Rajiv Ranjan Singh urged the Prime Minister to grant special state status to Bihar, saying the move will provide more jobs through rapid industrialisation end its backwardness and solve the problem of unemployment through rapid industrialisation.
“If you don’t develop Bihar, the country will never be developed,” he said, adding the status of special state should also be given to other backward States.
The JD(U) leader praised Mr. Modi for providing free COVID vaccines to the people of the country and other welfare programmes of the Central government.
Biju Janata Dal leader Pinaki Mishra said he was disappointed that there was no mention of the “terrible” unemployment problem in the President’s Address and claimed that for the first time in India’s history, an “unemployment riot” had taken place recently, referring to the violence that took place in Bihar following protests by aspirants of railway jobs.
The BJD leader also raised the issue of a Union Minister beating a deputy director-level official with a chair till his arm got broken.
Praising Prime Minister Modi for his “courteous behaviour” even with his critics, Mr. Misra said such behaviour from a Minister of his government was not expected. While Mr. Misra raised the issue, BJP MP S.S. Ahluwallia objected saying an MP cannot raise an issue against a Minister without giving him prior notice. However, Mr. Misra pointed that he didn’t violate any rule as he didn’t take anyone’s name in the House.
Trinamool Congress MP Mohua Moitra attacked the Modi government and accused it of trying to “alter history” and being fearful of its future. While she delivered her speech in a fiery style, BJP’s Rama Devi, who was in the Chair, asked her to calm down and speak with “less anger”.
Referring to the government’s recent announcement of installing a hologram of Subhash Chandra Bose beneath the canopy at India Gate, the TMC MP asked if the iconic freedom fighter would have approved of the Dharam Sansad in which hate speeches were made.
“This government wants to alter history. They’re fearful of the future and they mistrust the present. The President, early on in his address, speaks about freedom fighters who secured India’s rights but this is just lip service,” she claimed.
Telangana Rashtra Samithi member Nama Nageswara Rao said the President’s Address did not talk about some key problems like unemployment, minimum support price for farmers and Centre-State relations.
Congress MP from Telangana Uttam Reddy pointed out that the Address didn’t talk about doubling of farmers’ income when it was meant to double in 2022.
