18 Opposition leaders stand in unison, call Centre 'arrogant' and 'obdurate'

As many as 18 opposition party leaders today have released a joint statement, demanding a discussion over the issues of Pegasus and farm laws in the Parliament. Asserting that the Pegasus issue has national security dimensions, opposition parties demanded a reply from Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the discussion on the matter in both houses.

New Delhi: As many as 18 opposition party leaders today have released a joint statement, demanding a discussion over the issues of Pegasus and farm laws in the Parliament. Asserting that the Pegasus issue has national security dimensions, opposition parties demanded a reply from Union Home Minister Amit Shah during the discussion on the matter in both houses.

"The opposition parties stand firm and united on their demand for a discussion on Pegasus issue in both the Houses, replied to by the Home Minister, as this has national security dimensions," the statement said. It further added, "The opposition has also unequivocally conveyed that the discussion on the farmers' issues and agitations arising from the three anti-farmers and black agriculture laws should follow the discussion on Pegasus."

The joint statement was signed by the following leaders:

1. Mallikarjun Kharge (Congress' Leader of Opposition, Rajya Sabha)
2. Sharad Pawar (NCP)
3. T R Balu (DMK)
4. Anand Sharma (Congress),
5. Ramgopal Yadav (SP),
6. Derek O’ Brien, Kalyan Banerjee (TMC),
7. Sanjay Raut (Shiv Sena)
8. Vinayak Raut (Shiv Sena)
9. Manoj Jha (RJD)
10. Elamaram Kareem (CPI(M))
11. Sushil Gupta (AAP)
12. ET Mohd. Basheer (IUML)
13. Hasnain Masoodi (NC)
14. Binoy Viswam (CPI)
15. NK Premachandran (RSP)
16. MV Shreyams Kumar (LJD)
17. Kalyan Banerjee (TMC)
18. Tiruchi Siva (DMK)

The opposition has been continuously raising a demand to have a discussion over the Pegasus matter in both the houses, holding protests inside the Parliament. To this, whereas, the Centre has been blaming opposition for disruptions in the Parliament proceedings.

"It is unfortunate that the government has unleashed misleading campaign to malign the combined opposition and blaming it for the continued disruption in the Parliament. The responsibility for the deadlock lies squarely at the doorsteps of the government, which remains arrogant and obdurate and refuses to accept the opposition’s demand for an informed debate in both the houses," the statement asserted.

In the joint statement, the opposition urged the Government to "respect" parliamentary democracy and accept the discussions. This comes a day after opposition parties held a meeting, which was hosted by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, to chalk out a strategy to corner the government in Parliament.