Rajnath Singh did not ring me up to solve the issue but to give the impression that the government contacted the Leader of the Opposition. When he had called me before he went on his foreign trip to Tajikistan, I had informed him that he should call an all-party meeting, where the issue can be discussed as I, alone, cannot take the decision. It is my duty to convey to him what everyone in the Opposition wants and I did that. I asked him to write a letter requesting everyone’s presence at the meeting, which he said he would do as soon as he was back. He returned on Thursday, but didn’t call any one. On Monday late evening, he called to ask if the issue has been solved. I wondered how he could ask that question as his party had to solve the issue; instead he was asking me about it. I told him that as soon as the issues were discussed, the matter would be resolved.
BJP is supposed to run Parliament and my role as the Opposition is to co-operate. If I have given a notice under Rules for discussion, it should be taken up. I learnt that he has no authority to take any decision.
We can’t say how long the protests will continue. All of us in the Opposition are discussing the issues.
US President Richard Nixon, Irish Prime Minister Charles Haughe and former Karnataka CM Ramakrishna Hegde had resigned on allegations of snooping and phone-tapping. Here, we are only asking for a discussion and they are not able to facilitate us. This is a public cause and we will fight unitedly.
The Pegasus snooping scandal has affected media persons, Army personnel, police, judges, Opposition leaders. Today, Editor’s Guild has stated they are going to court on the issue. Two other journalists – N Ram and Shashi Kumar – have approached the Supreme Court in the matter.
