High political drama in RS on Pegasus as TMC MP snatches papers from IT Minister, tears it

High political drama was witnessed in the in Rajya Sabha on Thursday with the on-going protest by Opposition on the alleged snooping row taking a new shape when TMC MP Shantanu Sen snatched papers from Communications and Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw in the Rajya Sabha and tore them, while the minister was making a statement on the issue of using Israeli spyware Pegasus.

Deputy Chairman Harivansh's appeal to members not to adhere to this "unparliamentary" practice went unheard. The first week of the Monsoon Session has been a near-washout with Thursday's paper tear event being the focal point.

While the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day soon after the House re-assembled in the second half after two brief adjournments in the first half, Lok Sabha saw four adjournments amid uproar over Pegasus and farm laws. With Friday being reserved for private members' bills, the washout is effectively for the entire first week of the Session.

On the penultimate day of the first week of the Session, the TMC MP Sen in Rajya Sabha tore the papers, while members from TMC, Congress and other Opposition parties rushed into the well of the House, protesting and shouting slogans as the Chair called Vaishnaw to make a statement on the issue. Sensing the mood, the minister laid a copy of the statement on the table of the House.

Read | Govts in denial, Amnesty 'stands by Pegasus findings'

Deputy Chairman Harivansh's repeated pleas to the members to withdraw from the well of the House had no takers, and his efforts to start discussion on the subject were not accepted. Later when Vaishnav tried to read out his statement, nothing was audible in the ruckus.

"You do not want a discussion on an issue you have been agitated about...this is undemocratic," the deputy chairman said tersely before adjourning the House for the day.

In Lok Sabha also, TMC members gathered near the podium of Speaker Om Birla and raised the Pegasus issue and shouted slogans seeking answers from the Prime Minister. Congress and SAD members were raising farmer issues.

In fact, disruption by Opposition during Modi's first and second tenure as a strategy has kept Chairs in both Houses on tenterhooks, leading to deliberations over steps like bringing a new law to check disruptions, evolving a Code of Conduct, carrying out automatic suspension and debarring from voting any member, who rushes into the Well of the House and disrupts proceedings. However, even group suspension of MPs numbering up to 45 (2019), 18 (2014) 07 (2020) in one go has not solved the problem.

Read | Pegasus snooping story 'fabricated, evidence-less': BJP

Congress frequently cited remarks of BJP leaders Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley (both LoP in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha respectively during UPA's tenure) in the past, who had found "not undemocratic" and "also a form of democracy" in disruptions.

A Rajya Sabha panel of former General Secretary of the Upper House V K Agnihotri and former Additional Secretary in the Ministry of Law and Justice Dinesh Bhardwaj had suggested automatic suspension and debarring from voting any member, who rushes into the Well of the House and disrupts proceedings.

BJP's Meenakshi Lekhi, however, slammed the TMC saying its conduct in Rajya Sabha was a "new low" in India's parliamentary democracy. Sources in the government meanwhile said it will seek action against some Opposition MPs as they misbehaved with the treasury bench members including a minister in the Rajya Sabha even after the House was adjourned. "We are approaching the Rajya Sabha chairman seeking action against them as their behaviour is a blow to parliamentary decorum," a Union minister said.

Addressing a press conference later, TMC MP Sen alleged that Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri " threatened and abused" him in the Rajya Sabha and was on the verge of "physically assaulting" him but he was rescued by his colleagues. He claimed that Puri even rudely gesticulated at him.

"I was gheraoed by the BJP MPs," Sen alleged. TMC Chief Whip Sukhendu Sekhar Ray said, "the minister's statement was full of contradictions and white lies. So one of our members snatched and tore it." The party said it would continue to obstruct Parliament proceedings till the government agrees to a "structured discussion" on the issue.

Mamata Banerjee, who has said that the Pegasus spyware scandal was "worse than the Watergate scandal", will be in the national capital on July 26 to meet Opposition leaders.