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The second week of the monsoon session of Parliament also started with disruptions on Monday over the use of Pegasus spyware on democratic institutions. The Opposition parties raised the pitch on the Pegasus issue and took to sloganeering. The Rajya Sabha got adjourned at around 3 pm till 4 pm after repeated adjournments since morning.
Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu expressed concern over around 90 members of the House being denied opportunities to raise issues of public importance. He said that even after notices were admitted by the Chairman, some MPs could not speak due to persistent disruption of proceedings of the House.
Also read: Rajya Sabha suspends TMC MP; using Pegasus is treason: Rahul
Naidu said a total of 69 zero hour mentions, including 12 admitted for the day on Monday and 23 special mentions, could not be raised in the House. He said as many as 57 matters of 63 members were permitted during zero hour, but none could be raised due to disruption of proceedings. “These matters covered wide ranging issues like shortage of Covid-19 vaccines, need for time-bound completion of Covid-19 vaccination, unemployment due to the continuing pandemic, problems of students in availing online education, hike in process of petroleum products and the resultant increase in prices of essential commodities, alleged attacks on the freedom of press, situation in Lakshadweep, attacks on and killing of Indians in South Africa; sharing of Cauvery river water between States etc,” Naidu said.
Naidu said out of the 31 special mentions admitted so far, only eight could be laid on the Table of the House on Tuesday last week while the rest could not be mentioned in the House. “The issues sought to be raised under this category include abolition of posts in Indian Railways, functioning of the National Medical Commission, racial slurs against the people of North Eastern States etc,” he told the Upper House. He said members also could not seek clarification on the statement by IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on the Pegasus issue.
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