Pegasus row: examining privilege motion against IT minister, says VP Venkaiah Naidu

Rajya Sabha Chairman M Venkaiah Naidu on Thursday said he is examining the privilege motions moved against Union Minister for Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw for 'misleading' parliament on the Pegasus issue.

After examination, a clarification will be sought from the minister. The decision to admit or reject would be taken depending on that. Naidu said in the Rajya Sabha that Congress' KC Venugopal and two more MPs have given notice of privilege against the IT minister.

"I am examining it," he said. "Once I examine it, I will have to seek the clarification of the minister and then we will get back to you." Leaders of the Congress, TMC and CPI have moved privilege motions against Vaishnaw following a report in the New York Times claiming that the Indian government bought the Israeli spyware in 2017 as part of a USD 2 billion package for weapons.

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The government maintained on the floor of the House that it had nothing to do with Pegasus and that it never bought the spyware from the NSO Group.

Most of the last winter session of Parliament was hit by the Pegasus controversy after reports alleged that the government was using the military-grade Israeli spyware to target political leaders, journalists, judges and civil society activists.

Earlier, when the House met for the day, Naidu said he has rejected a notice under rule 267 on the Pegasus issue.

Admission of a notice under rule 267 calls for setting aside the business of the day to take up the issue being listed in the notice.

"There is a notice under (rule) 267 for which I have already given my decision yesterday about Pegasus. I am not accepting it," he said.