'Listen to us': Opposition to Modi before Parliament Session concludes
Just one week before the ongoing Monsoon Session of the Parliament concludes, the Opposition said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should attend the proceedings and listen to their demands. Trinamool Congress party's Derek O'Brien tweeted a three-minute video this morning, that shows several Opposition leaders calling for discussions on the Pegasus scandal, the farmers' protest, and other issues.
What's going on in the Parliament?
Since the Monsoon Session of the Parliament began on July 19, little work has been done due to Opposition protests over several key issues - including the farmers' protest and the Pegasus scandal. The disruptions have caused a wastage of over Rs. 130 crore of taxpayers' money. PM Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party have attacked the Opposition for stalling the Parliament.
'If you have courage, begin discussions now'
"You are not allowing the discussion we have been asking for the past 14 days. And the discussions we can do later, you are passing that bill now. If you have courage, begin the discussions now," Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge is heard saying in the clip. The government has notably rushed several bills in the Parliament amid the Opposition uproar.
'Government is not listening to the people'
In the video, Nationalist Congress Party's Vandana Chavan said, "This government is unnecessarily snooping on people, bringing in companies like Pegasus and not listening to the people. It is a shame." "Pegasus has reached everyone's house. We have to discuss this," added the RJD's Manoj Jha. Some others raised the issue of the farmers' protest and the gang-rape of a 9-year-old girl in Delhi.
Here is the tweet by O'Brien
PM Modi, BJP leaders attacked the Opposition
PM Modi and other BJP leaders have criticized Opposition parties for disrupting the Parliament. "Parliament is being insulted by the acts of the Opposition in both Houses. The person who snatched the paper and tore it is not repentant of his acts," he recently told BJP MPs at a meeting. A Trinamool MP had earlier snatched IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw's papers in the Parliament.
What is the Pegasus snooping row?
Phone numbers of more than 300 Indian activists, journalists, Opposition leaders, among others, were hacked using the spyware program Pegasus, according to an investigation by media organizations around the world. The developers of the spyware say they only supply the product to vetted government clients and their agencies. The Indian government, however, has denied any involvement in the scandal, calling the allegations a "non-issue."
What is the farmers' protest all about?
Thousands of farmers have been protesting in and around Delhi against three new agricultural laws, passed last year. They are also currently holding a "Kisan Parliament" at the Jantar Mantar near the Parliament, demanding a roll-back of the laws. Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi and other Opposition leaders had earlier this week visited the monument to support the protesting farmers.
