No way forward till govt discusses Pegasus: Mahua Moitra on Parliament stalemate | Exclusive  

As the Pegasus Snoopgate issue continues to keep the Parliament stalled, Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra says that there can be no way forward in Parliament till matter is discussed.

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No way forward till govt discusses Pegasus: Mahua Moitra on Parliament stalemate | Exclusive  
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra (File photo: PTI)

Parliament is stalled over the Pegasus Snoopgate face-off between the government and its political rivals. This is when TMC chief Mamata Banerjee is in Delhi to shore up Opposition unity.

Against this backdrop, India Today TV Consulting Editor Rajdeep Sardesai spoke to TMC MP Mahua Moitra who said there can be no way forward in Parliament till Pegasus is discussed. Excerpts from the interview:

Q: Your colleague Nishikant Dubey says you called him a Bihari goonda during that parliamentary committee meeting. You need to respond.

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I’m amused. I have tweeted about this and I’m glad you asked me this. The IT committee has 29 members. Two of them have become ministers, so it’s 27. Quorum is 10. Out of 10, nine members were present. No BJP member was signed in. If that person who claims I called him a name had been present, it would have been the 10th, there would have been a quorum and the meeting would have continued.

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Q: Are you saying BJP MPs who are part of the standing committee on IT attended the meeting, refused to sign the register because they wanted the meeting to be called off?

Exactly. So they weren’t there. Please check the attendance register. The quorum didn’t happen. IT, Telecom and Home ministers were supposed to send their secretaries but they didn’t send them. They’re in contempt of the Lok Sabha. They had confirmed attendance. They didn’t come without permission. If the shoe fits, please wear it. But I couldn’t have abused someone who was technically not there.

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Q: The government says the Opposition is being obstructionist...

During the 2G case, the BJP stalled the entire Winter Session. They got a JPC. Now Pegasus is the biggest issue and we would be falling way short of our responsibilities as Opposition members if we didn’t address it. And it’s not just us. People from the media, Army, R&AW have also been snooped upon. On day 1, we said we need a discussion. The Speaker, I feel sorry for the poor man, he keeps saying ‘I’m very sorry, my hands are tied.’ Everything is on the table, except Pegasus. MP Subhash Chandra was physically prevented from attending the IT committee meeting and told to go away so that the magic figure of 10 isn’t reached. That’s how desperate this government is. They’re accusing us of obstructing Parliament. Every Opposition party is united. The government needs to explain Pegasus. Otherwise, there’s no way forward.