Parliament: Lok Sabha adjourned for the day amid repeated disruptions by Opposition
The Monsoon Session of the Parliament began on a stormy note on Monday with the opposition creating a ruckus and preventing Prime Minister Narendra Modi from introducing his newly-inducted Union Ministers.
The Pegasus snooping controversy rocked the Lok Sabha proceedings on Tuesday, leading to continued disruptions and repeated adjournments of the House. Soon after the House assembled at 3 pm, the opposition members again started raising slogans on the Pegasus snooping issue, forcing the chair to adjourn the House for the day. The Lok Sabha will now meet on Thursday after the Eid holiday. This was the second day of the Monsoon Session that the House could not transact any legislative business. On Monday, the Opposition had disrupted the proceedings over a variety of issues, including price rise and three farm laws. Earlier in the day, the House was adjourned twice after the Opposition created a ruckus over snooping and other issues. Opposition members, including from the Congress and the TMC, started raising slogans and showing placards to attack the government on the snooping issue as soon as the House met for the day at 11 am. The proceedings lasted for barely five minutes. The same scene was witnessed when the House reassembled at 2 pm. The issue of "snooping" using the Pegasus spyware has snowballed into a massive political row in Parliament and outside as various parties are demanding a thorough investigation and sacking of Home Minister Amit Shah, while the government maintains that it had nothing to do with it. Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, BJP ministers Ashwini Vaishnaw and Prahlad Singh Patel, as also former election commissioner Ashok Lavasa and poll strategist Prashant Kishor were among those whose phone numbers were listed as potential targets for hacking through the Israeli spyware sold only to government agencies, an international media consortium has reported.
Parliament Monsoon Session
Parliament Live: Lok Sabha proceedings adjourned for the day amid repeated disruptions by opposition members.
Parliament Live: Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) President Sukhbir Singh Badal showed a placard to Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, during party's protest against farm laws outside Parliament, this morning.
Parliament LIVE: BJP chief and MP JP Nadda gets the office of former PM late Atal Bihari Vajpayee, at the Parliament. Party leader Lal Krishan Advani also used to sit in the same office: Sources
Parliament LIVE: Andaman & Nicobar Admn had notified the intention to declare Galathea Bay as Wildlife Sanctuary. Based on the recommendations of National Board for Wild Life, the said notification has been withdrawn by the Andaman & Nicobar Administration: Ministry of Home Affairs in Lok Sabha
Parliament LIVE: BJP MP Swapan Dasgupta in Rajya Sabha said that the pandemic has been a constant learning experience for us. The House has been adjourned till 1.34 pm.
Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 pm: Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned till 2 pm on Tuesday after the Opposition created a ruckus over various issues, including the Pegasus snooping controversy. Opposition members, including from the Congress and the TMC, started raising slogans and showing placards to attack the government on the snooping issue as soon as the House met for the day at 11 am. The proceedings lasted for barely five minutes.
Monsoon Session LIVE: Rajya Sabha proceedings adjourned till 1 PM amid uproar by opposition members.
Parliament Live: Shiv Sena MPs Vinayak Raut, Gajanan Kirtikar, Arvind Sawant, Sadashiv Lokhande, Krupal Tumane, Dhairyasheel Mane and Balu Dhanorkar submitted a memorandum to Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla, seeking a probe in 'Pegasus Project' media report by a Joint Parliamentary Committee.
Parliament LIVE: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said that it's been proved that phones examined in India had invasion of Pegasus. Since this product is only sold to vetted govts, question arises which government? If GoI says they haven't done it, some other govt did it, then it's more serious national security concern.
Monsoon Session Live: Rajya Sabha has been adjourned soon after it began till 12 noon amid uproar by the Opposition.
Parliament LIVE: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Prahlad Joshi said that no iota of link between government and Pegasus issue. "Still, if they (Opposition) want to raise the issue through proper procedure, let them raise it. IT Minister has already issued a statement on the issue," he said.
Parliament Live: Lok Sabha adjourned till 2 PM after opposition parties create ruckus.
Parliament LIVE: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha, said, "Have you ever heard of the usage of intelligence system (Pegasus) by Congress & spying of this kind? This is a strategy of making new India."
Monsoon Session Live: Opposition parties hold a strategy meet at the Parliament to discuss the alleged illegal surveillance through the Israeli spyware Pegasus on political leaders, journalists and others.
Parliament Live: IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw will make a statement on phone tapping row in the Rajya Sabha after 2 pm. In a statement in Lok Sabha on Monday, Vaishnaw has called it a "sensational story" without any substance. CLICK HERE TO READ MORE
Parliament LIVE: Trinamool Congress's Sukhendu Sekhar Ray has given a 267 notice, seeking suspension of Rules of business in the Rajya Sabha, for a discussion on Pegasus.
Parliament Live: Congress MP gives Adjournment motion notice over Pegasus
Congress MP Manickam Tagore has given Adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha on 'Pegasus Project' media report issue. AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh has given Zero Hour notice in Rajya Sabha on Pegasus.
Health Secy to address Opposition leaders on Covid-19 situation
Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan will address floor leaders of political parties on Covid-19 on Tuesday in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The Prime Minister had on Monday urged floor leaders to take out some time on Tuesday evening as he would like to give them all detailed information regarding the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier on Monday morning, PM Modi said that the government is ready for meaningful discussions and to answer all questions during the Monsoon Session of the Parliament. Talking to reporters, ahead of Monsoon Session, he urged all MPs and political parties to ask the most difficult and sharpest questions in the Houses. He also appealed to all to cooperate in following all COVID protocols.
READ MORE: 'Aap chronology samajhiye': Amit Shah on alleged phone tapping of Opposition leaders, journalists
READ MORE: Phone tapping row: Illegal surveillance not possible in India, says IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw