Sitaram Yechury on Pegasus: "This is an attack on democracy itself" (FILE)
The CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury today attacked the Centre for stonewalling any discussion on the Pegasus controversy in Parliament and said not just privacy of individuals but India's democracy was at stake.
"What are we asking...whether the government or any of its agency has contracted the NSO for the use of military spyware Pegasus...The government has to be accountable to parliament but refuses to answer this question," Mr Yechury said.
"This is not an attack on the fundamental right of privacy of individuals. This is an attack on democracy itself and that is the most dangerous aspect of it. But the government is just refusing to be accountable. This has become a no data government or a government of lies," he added.
Instead of focusing on Covid and the economy which are hurting the people, the BJP is "virtually inviting the third wave of Covid," Mr Yechury said.
"They are occupied with their own agenda. From August 16 they are launching a new yatra with the new ministers covering 22 states, 20,000 kilometres...nearly 1300 big public meetings...Another big super spreader mega event this is going to be. Kumbh Mela gave us the Delta variant. Now another super spreader like this. The third wave is likely being invited by the government. This is unacceptable, he said.
The CPM, he said, was hoping all secular opposition parties could come together to act against this outside Parliament after successfully taking on the BJP inside the house this Monsoon session.
"On 20 August we will have an online meeting. We wanted a physical meeting but some chief ministers are busy with floods and covid," Mr Yechury said
The CPM general secretary also declared that the Indian flag would be hoisted on Independence day at the headquarter of the party's Bengal unit in Kolkata, Alimuddin Street.
"People may think this is the first time CPM is doing this. That's not correct. We observed the 50th independence in a big way. Now we will observe the 75th," he said.
"What is happening today is the destruction of the secular democratic republic of India as defined by our constitution. And the effort to proclaim a new India by 15 August 2022...a new India of the RSS vision of destroying the secular democratic republic and in its place imposing a rapidly intolerant, theocratic, fascistic Hindutva Rashtra," he added.