New Delhi [India]: Opposition parties on Wednesday said they were “firm and united” on their demand for a discussion on the Pegasus issue and noted that the responsibility for the deadlock in parliament “lies squarely” with the government, which remains “arrogant and obdurate”. In a joint statement by leaders of Congress and 13 other opposition parties, they said the opposition has also unequivocally conveyed that the discussion on the farmers’ issues and “agitations arising from the three anti-farmers and black agri-laws” should follow the discussion on Pegasus. The statement said it is unfortunate that the government has unleashed a misleading campaign to malign the combined opposition and was blaming it for the continued disruption in the Parliament. “The opposition parties stand firm and united on their demand for a discussion on Pegasus issue in both the Houses, replied to by the Home Minister, as this has national security dimensions,” the statement said. “The responsibility for the deadlock lies squarely at the doorsteps of the government, which remains arrogant and obdurate and refuses to accept the opposition’s demand for an informed debate in both the houses,” it added. The opposition parties said they once again urge the government “to respect parliamentary democracy and accept the discussions”. The statement has been issued by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Congress leader Anand Sharma, DMK’s TR Balu, Samajwadi Party’s Ramgopal Yadav, TMC’s Derek O’ Brien and Kalyan Banerjee, Shiv Sena’s Sanjay Raut and Vinayak Raut, DMK’s Tiruchi Siva, RJD’s Manoj Jha, CPI-M’s Elamaram Kareem, Aam Aadmi Party’s Sushil Gupta, IUML’s ET Mohd. Basheer, National Conference’s Hasnain Masoodi, CPI’s Binoy Viswam, RSP’s NK Premachandran and LJD’s MV Shreyams Kumar.
