Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday urged all Members of Parliament from all parties to ask “the most difficult and sharpest” questions in both Houses, but also allow the government to respond in a disciplined and peaceful environment. 

“I would like to urge all the MPs and all the parties to ask the most difficult and sharpest questions in the Houses but should also allow the government to respond, in a disciplined environment. This will boost the democracy, strengthen people’s trust and improve pace of development,” the Prime Minister said. 

His comments come ahead of the scheduled start of the Monsoon Session of the Parliament. The opposition parties are likely to corner the government over a number of key issues, during the session, which will last till August 31. 

Among the issues is the Pegasus surveillance row, with reports claiming that dozens of Indian journalists and politicians were the target of an attempted hack. The reports, published by a number of prominent media houses, say that the Indian government was among 10 involved in surveillance using the Israeli-made Pegasus sypware. 

The Rafale deal, farmers’ protest over the new farm bills and the government’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis are among the other issues. 

Leaders of various parties met in the Parliament to chalk out a strategy to take on the government, with the Congress preparing to target the Centre over the Pegasus row. 

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Congress MP Manish Tewari has moved an adjournment motion on the farmer’s protest, PTI reported. “About 300 farmers have died while protesting against the unfair laws passed by the Centre,” he said in his motion. 

Meanwhile, PM Modi said that the “COVID pandemic has gripped entire world” adding that the government wants “meaningful discussions in Parliament over it”. 

While urging all MPs to co-operate in abiding by COVID-19 protocols in the Houses, the Prime Minister said the government wants “discussion inside Parliament as well as outside it with floor leaders on pandemic”.