In a bid to defend the barbs aimed at the Modi government, in Parliament, by the Opposition over Pegasus “snoop-files”, the Union home minister Amit Shah claimed that such “conspiracies” will not be able to derail India’s development trajectory.

Shah claimed that it was a “conspiracy” hatched by what he called “disrupters and obstructers” who are attempting to derail India’s progress. He claimed it is necessary to track the chronology behind the timing of the “selective leaks” and “disruptions”.

He said: “The facts and sequence of events are for the entire nation to see. Today, the Monsoon Session of Parliament has started. In what seemed like a perfect cue, late last evening, we saw a report which has been amplified by a few sections with only one aim – to do whatever is possible and humiliate India at the world stage, peddle the same old narratives about our nation and derail India’s development trajectory.”

Shedding light on what he meant as “disrupters and obstructers”, he explained, “Disrupters are global organisations which do not like India to progress. Obstructers are political players in India who do not want India to progress. People of India are very good at understanding this chronology and connection,”

He said such forces will not be able to stall the progress which will rise out of this monsoon session of the Parliament. “The people of India have high hopes from the current Monsoon Session. Key bills for the welfare of farmers, youngsters, women and the backward sections of society are lined up for debate and discussion. No less than the Prime Minister said that the Government is ready to discuss all topics,” he said.

Taking a dig at the Opposition, Shah said: “A few days ago the council of ministers was expanded with great emphasis on women, SC, ST and OBC members. But there are forces unable to digest this. They also want to derail national progress. This merits the question – to whose tune are these people dancing, who wants to keep showing India in poor light? What pleasure do they get to time and again by showing India in a bad light?”

Attacking the Congress, he said: “To see the rudderless Congress jump on to this bandwagon is not unexpected. They have good  experience in trampling over democracy and with their own house not in order, they are now trying to derail anything progressive that comes up in Parliament.”

Shah condemned the Opposition’s behaviour when PM Modi was introducing his new council of ministers. He said, despite a Prime Minister introducing his council of ministers is, a well-established norm, the Congress-led Opposition ran to the well of both Houses to disrupt the introduction. He questioned, “Is this their respect for Parliamentary norms? The same behaviour continued when the IT Minister was speaking about the issue.”

Lastly, he clarified,  “And, I want to assure the people of India that the Modi govt’s priority is clear – ‘National Welfare’ and we will keep working to achieve that no matter what happens,”.

…With IANS inputs