'BJP scuttling discussion on Pegasus': Congress on postponement of IT panel meeting

A meeting of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Information and Technology, scheduled to be held on Wednesday, was postponed due to lack of quorum.

The meeting of the panel, chaired by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, was intended to question officials of the Central government on the Pegasus spyware scandal.

BJP members of the panel protested against the plan to discuss the Pegasus scandal, alleging the Congress was not allowing discussion of the issue in the Parliament session. The BJP members present at the meeting did not sign the attendance register in protest, leading to lack of quorum.

Congress leaders hit out at the BJP over the postponement of the meeting of the IT standing committee.

Congress Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari tweeted on Thursday "NDA/BJP scuttling discussion on l'affaire Pegasus in both Parliament & IT standing Committee… 3 GOI Secy’s are in contempt of house for ducking Standing Comm meeting… 100-150 MP’s must file joint Article 32 petition in SC for court monitored investigation."

Tewari was referring to the fact that officials from the ministry of electronics, information and technology and the ministry of home affairs had been summoned for the meeting.

Congress national spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi also alleged officials had skipped the IT standing committee meeting. He tweeted on Thursday, "Simple rqst 2discuss #Pegasus not agreed by govt last two weeks. Says discuss outside parl!! #IT standing comm obstructed-10 bjp MPs do not sign attendance &officials brazenly skip 1hr b4 meeting! #Govt not saying-we never bought or used Pegasus! Who is obstructing? who is hiding?"

Rahul Gandhi also referred to the alleged obstruction of Parliament. He tweeted, "The foundation of our democracy is that the Parliament should be the voice of the people and discuss the issues of national importance. Modi government is not allowing the opposition to do this work. Don't waste more time of Parliament—let inflation, farmers and Pegasus be discussed."