Pegasus Spyware: No Scope For Separate Discussion, Says Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi

Pegasus spyware: "There is no scope for a separate discussion in the ongoing Budget session of Parliament," said Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi | Image Courtesy: ANI

New Delhi: In the ongoing row over Pegasus spyware, Union Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi on Monday said there is no scope for a separate discussion in the ongoing Budget session of Parliament.

Following the opposition raising their voice on the issue, Pralhad made his statements during the virtual all-party meeting. "We have told the opposition that during the first part of the budget session we can only discuss the budget and the presidential address. Therefore, it would not be possible to hold a separate discussion. In any case, the matter is under court's jurisdiction right now," Joshi said.

Many parties have raised the Pegasus issue. We have made it clear that the Supreme Court-appointed committee is investigating the matter & that issues related to the Budget should be raised (in the first part of the Budget session): Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi pic.twitter.com/1o7iryA58C

— ANI (@ANI) January 31, 2022

"Whatever needed to be said on the issue was already said by Information and Technology Minister Ashwani Vaishnaw on the floor of the House during the Monsoon Session last year," he added.

The members of the opposition have also have written to the Lok Sabha Speaker wanting to file a breach of Privilege Motion against the IT Minister.

On this, Joshi added, "They can go ahead. It is up to the speaker to admit it or not but there seems to be no merit in this."

The statements surfaced after the Pegasus snooping issue was reignited amid the opposition claiming that the Centre allegedly bought Israeli spyware Pegasus in 2017.

MPs from Congress and the left party have issued a privilege motion against Vaishnaw for "deliberately misleading the House on the Pegasus issue".

While speaking in the recently concluded all-party meeting, Joshi said 25 parties participated in the meeting. 

The Modi led-government held an all-party meeting to discuss issues and legislative business for the upcoming Budget Session. The meeting was chaired by Union defence minister Rajnath Singh.

The Union Budget will be presented by finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman at 11 am on February 1. The first half of the Budget session will take place between February 2 and 11. Then, there will be a nearly a month-long recess till the second part of the session commences on March 14 and ends on April 8.