On Monday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reached out to at least two senior Opposition leaders in an attempt to reschedule the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament, but with both the government and the Opposition sticking to their respective positions, the chances of this happening are rapidly dwindling.
The defence minister met with the Congress’s Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, and the Trinamool Congress’s Lok Sabha chief, Sudip Bandopadhyay. According to people familiar with the situation, both reiterated that a debate on the Pegasus snooping row is required to end the disruptions. Over the Pegasus controversy, the three farm laws, and spiralling fuel prices, as many as 13 opposition parties have been protesting since the first day of the monsoon session.
“ I told him (Singh) that Pegasus is not a personal issue but the party’s issue and a debate should take place,” said Bandopadhyay.
The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha are now only 14 percent and 20 percent productive, respectively, due to repeated adjournments and fierce protests. On Monday, both Houses were subjected to numerous disruptions and protests. Despite the chaos, the government was able to introduce the Tribunal Reforms Bill in the Lok Sabha. Before adjourning for the day, the Lower House passed the General Insurance Business (Nationalisation) Amendment Bill, 2021. The Inland Vessels Bill, 2021 was approved by the Rajya Sabha.
On Tuesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi will have breakfast with all Opposition MPs in an attempt to cement the Opposition’s newfound unity and strategize for the remainder of the session. Naresh Gujral of the Akali Dal said his party had not been invited to the meeting.
On July 18, an international investigative consortium reported that many Indian ministers, politicians, activists, businessmen, and journalists were among the 50,000 numbers potentially targeted by Israeli company NSO Group’s phone hacking software, Pegasus, with a forensic analysis of 10 of the targets proving they had been hacked or that there had been an attempt.
“A section of the Opposition is of the view now that marathon disruption is hurting Opposition’s interest as the government is clearing two bills daily,” said a senior leader of an opposition party.
