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Opposition issues joint statement on Parliament deadlock, demand discussion on Pegasus, repeal of farm laws

The 17 opposition leaders issued a joint statement on Wednesday in which they said, “The Opposition parties stand firm and united on their demand for a discussion on the Pegasus issue in both the Houses, replied to by the Home Minister, as this has national security dimensions.”
 

Opposition issues joint statement on Parliament deadlock, demand discussion on Pegasus, repeal of farm laws-dnm
Author
Bengaluru, First Published Aug 4, 2021, 4:28 PM IST

A day after leaders of 15 opposition parties got together at former Congress president Rahul Gandhi's breakfast meeting, 17 members of non-NDA parties reiterated their demand for discussion in Parliament on the Pegasus spyware issue and repeal the three farm laws.

The 17 opposition leaders issued a joint statement on Wednesday in which they said, “The Opposition parties stand firm and united on their demand for a discussion on the Pegasus issue in both the Houses, replied to by the Home Minister, as this has national security dimensions.”

Claiming that the matter has 'national security dimensions,' the statement said, "It is unfortunate that the government has unleashed a misleading campaign to malign the combined opposition and blame it for the continued disruption in the Parliament. The responsibility for the deadlock lies squarely at the doorsteps of the government, which remains arrogant and obdurate and refuses to accept the opposition's demand for an informed debate in both the houses."

The signatories to the statement include leader of opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, Anand Sharma, NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, TR Balu and Tiruchi Siva of the DMK, Ramgopal Yadav (Samajwadi Party), Derek O’Brien and Kalyan Bannerjee (TMC), Sanjay Raut and Vinayak Raut (Shiv Sena), Manoj Jha (RJD), Sushil Gupta (AAP), ET Mohd Basheer (IUML), Hasnain Masoodi (National Conference), Elamaram Kareem, CPI(M) and Binoy Viswam (CPI).

The statement issued read, "The Opposition has also unequivocally conveyed that the discussion on the farmers' issues and agitations arising from the three anti-farmers and black agri-laws should follow the discussions on Pegasus."

The statement comes after a stalemate in Monsoon Session of Parliament with both the Houses paralysed by the opposition's uproar over their demand for a discussion on the Pegasus snooping issue and farmers' protests.

The Opposition has decided to keep up the heat on the government by disrupting the Parliament proceedings and forcing adjournments of both the houses. Both the houses of Parliament are being adjourned repeatedly every day since the monsoon session was convened on July 19.

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