From Our Bureau
NEW DELHI: Recognising the privilege motions in the Rajya Sabha by Congress general secretary K C Venugopal and two others on the Pegasus issue, Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday told the House that he is examining them against Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for “misleading” Parliament.
After examination, a clarification will be sought from the minister and a decision to admit or reject the motions would be taken thereafter, the Chairman said.
“I am examining it,” he said. “Once I examine it, I will have to seek the clarification of the minister and then we will get back to you.”
The Chairman, however, rejected a notice under Rule 267 to discuss the Pegasus issue, setting aside the regular business of the House. He said he had rejected such a notice also on Wednesday. He had also refused on Wednesday all amendments of the Opposition on the issue while starting a debate on a motion of thanks on the President’s address to Parliament on Monday.
Besides Venugopal, leaders of Trinamul Congress and CPI have brought the motions against the IT minister in the context of a report in The New York Times, claiming that the Indian government bought the Israeli spyware in 2017 as part o a US $2 billion package for weapons.
The government maintained on the floor of the House that it had nothing to do with Pegasus and that it never bought the spyware from the its manufacturer NSO Group.
Most of the last winter session of Parliament was hit by the Pegasus controversy after reports alleged that the government was using the military-grade Israeli spyware to target political leaders, journalists, judges and civil society activists.
