Pegasus issue: Opposition leaders discuss strategy to corner government in Parliament

Amid a stalemate in Parliament over the Pegasus snooping issue, leaders of various opposition parties on Wednesday met and decided to submit similar adjournment notices on the matter. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi attended the meeting at the chamber of the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge. The meeting chaired by Kharge was attended by opposition leaders from both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha, and discussed the joint opposition strategy to corner the government on the issue. Gandhi had attended a similar meeting of Opposition leaders of Lok Sabha on Tuesday evening.

“Rahul Gandhi and other opposition leaders will submit similar adjournment motions on Pegasus issue in the Lok Sabha,” a senior leader said after the meeting. Gandhi later told reporters that they will continue to raise issues of public interest and will not compromise on the issues of Pegasus, price rise and farmers. Earlier during the meeting with like-minded parties, Gandhi said the government was trying to defame the opposition by accusing them of not allowing Parliament to run, sources said. Gandhi said the opposition was only raising issues concerning the people, farmers and security and will continue to do so, they said. Leaders of the Congress, DMK, NCP, Shiv Sena, RJD, SP, CPIM, CPI, NC, AAP, IUML, RSP, KCM and VCK attended the meeting. Opposition unity and better coordination and synergy among opposition parties was stressed at the meeting, the sources said. Leaders of 14 opposition parties attended the meeting. Among the leaders who attended the meeting included Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury and Jairam Ramesh of the Congress, DMK’s TR Baalu, Tiruchi Siva, Kanimozhi, NCP’s Supriya Sule and Praful Patel, Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut, National Conference leader Hasnain Masoodi, CPI-M’s Elamaran Karim, CPI’s Binoy Viswam, AAP’s Bhagwant Mann and RJD’s Manoj Jha.