The Centre reiterated their demand for “stringent punishment” against Opposition MPs those who disrupted the proceedings of Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon Session. Cabinet Ministers such as Piyush Goyal, Pralhad Joshi and Bhupender Yadav told media here on Thursday that they expect Chairman Venkaiah Naidu to take a decision on their requests for action against some MPs of the Opposition.
The Ministers were responding to the charges made by the Opposition parties that the government deliberately derailed the House proceedings to avoid a discussion on Pegasus spyware issue.
Goyal said some MPs broke barriers of allowed forms of protests and even climbed on the Table of the House. He also denied the allegations by senior MP Sharad Pawar that 40 members were brought from outside and they manhandled even women MPs.
Goyal said the Opposition did not even allow Prime Minister Narendra Modi to introduce the new members in the Council of Ministers. He said the Opposition cast aspersions even on Chairman Naidu. To a question why a debate on Pegasus spyware issue could not be allowed, Goyal did not give a direct answer.
Earlier, leaders of 14 Opposition parties held a joint meeting and later met Naidu at his official residence.
“The Government stonewalled the Opposition demand for discussion. It is clear that the present Government does not believe in Parliamentary accountability and was running away from debate on Pegasus which resulted in a deadlock. The Opposition had been repeatedly requesting the Government to sincerely engage with the Opposition parties to break the impasse, but the Government remained arrogant, insincere and obdurate. It is the Government, which is squarely responsible for the stalemate, has refused to accept the opposition’s demand for an informed debate in both the houses,” they said in a statement.