Manish Tewari, a Congress MP, tabled an adjournment motion in Lok Sabha on Wednesday to discuss a news report that “reveals that the Indian Government is in the market for new spyware.”
Tewari stated, “According to a report in the Financial Times dated March 31, 2023, the Indian government is looking for new spyware. Some countries have blacklisted the NSO, the company that manufactures and sells Pegasus.” “According to the report, the government is willing to spend up to USD 120 million, or approximately Rs 1000 crore. A dozen spyware vendors are expected to bid on behalf of the Indian government “He went on to say. He further said that the procurement of such Surveillance Technology without parliamentary oversight has grave implications for the right to privacy of individuals guaranteed under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution.
Under these circumstances, the House must adjourn to discuss the matter of the Government reportedly seeking to procure Pegagus-like surveillance technology, he added.
While, Congress MP Manickam Tagore gave an adjournment motion notice to discuss the “government failure in constituting a JPC to investigate charges of fraud, corruption and financial mismanagement of Adani group”.
On Monday, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned soon after Parliament resumed its last leg of the ongoing Budget Session after a four-day long break.
The last leg of the Budget session had begun on March 13 and has witnessed repeated adjournments. The opposition has called for a joint parliamentary committee to investigate the Adani-Hindenburg dispute.