Ashwini Vaishnaw's Response On Pegasus Spyware Scandal Torn In Rajya Sabha By TMC’s Santanu Sen

Pegasus row continued to rock the Parliament with Union Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on July 22 making a statement in the Rajya Sabha. The minister denounced reports that the Pegasus spyware could have been used to snoop on Opposition leaders, activists & others. The afternoon session of the Upper House witnessed some charged moments as Opposition MPs led by Trinamool MP Santanu Sen rushed to the well of the House and tore the minister’s statement. When the House met at 2 pm, after two earlier adjournments, Deputy Chairman Harivansh called for the IT Minister to present his statement. As Vaishnaw rose to speak, the House erupted in slogans of “Jasoosi band karo, band karo (stop spying).” While the slogan shouting intensified, TMC’s Sen, accompanied by several other members of his party, entered the well of the House and tore up the minister’s statement, even as the Deputy Chairman called for calm.

Vaishnaw read out from the statement, closely identical to the one he made on July 19, a day after The Wire, as part of a global collaborative investigation, reported that 300 Indian numbers were on a list of potential targets of the Pegasus spyware. Watch the video to know more.