NEW DELHI: Days after the government ruled out any discussion on Pegasus during the first part of the Budget session, the Rajya Sabha secretariat on Wednesday disallowed all amendments to the President’s address that were related to the alleged snooping issue and moved by opposition MPs.
Sources said the Rajya Sabha received a total of 99 amendments to the President’s address, but wi-th three MPs absent during the proceedings of the House when the amendments were moved, a total of 80 amendments were finally allowed. All amendments relating to Pegasus were disallowed on the grounds that the matter is pending in court.
In contrast, Lok Sabha received a total of 232 amendments to the President’s address of which 98 were moved and circulated. The lower House also allowed Pegasus-related amendments by at least four Lok Sabha MPs, including Trinamool’s Saugata Roy and Shiv Sena’s Vinayak Raut.
The Pegasus amendment is the first on the list of amendments moved to the President’s address in Lok Sabha. It seeks an addition at the end of the Motion of Thanks regretting that “there is no mention in the address about the alleged purchase of Israeli spyware Pegasus by the government”. Both Houses disallowed adjou-rnment motions moved by Congress, Left and TMC members demanding talks on snooping. In the Lok Sabha, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that Pegasus was deployed to “destroy” the union of states was also challenged through a ‘point of order’ by BJP’s Nishikant Dubey, who said Pegasus cannot be discussed since the matter is sub judice.
Congress MPs and Trinamool Congress’ Saugata Roy had also submitted notices for a privilege motion against IT minister Ashiwini Vaishnaw for “wilfully misleading Parliament” on the Pegasus spyware issue.
