BJP moves motion to remove Shashi Tharoor as IT Standing Committee chief

New Delhi: BJP Member of Parliament Nishikant Dubey formally proposed a motion to remove Shashi Tharoor from the position of Chairperson for the Standing Committee on Information Technology, reported The News Minute on July 28. The move follows Tharoor's controversial decision to discuss Pegasus during a scheduled committee meeting.

According to reports, MP Nishikant Dubey moved the privilege motion for the removal of MP Shashi Tharoor on July 28, citing Article 94 and Article 96 of the Indian Constitution. Nishikant Dubey told ANI that 17 of 30 Committee members don't trust Tharoor. Dubey has already raised the issue in the Lok Sabha.

Speaking to ANI, Dubey said: "What he wanted to discuss in the committee could be discussed in both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha and it (the government) was willing to discuss in both houses. Despite this, the chairperson wanted to discuss this (Pegasus). Hence, I am standing here to present a privilege motion against the chairperson."

The Pegasus spyware issue was scheduled to be discussed in the Standing Committee's meeting but was postponed after the committee's BJP members withheld from signing the attendance register, reported NDTV.

The Pegasus issue has disrupted the working of both houses of Parliament, with the Opposition demanding a further probe into the ordeal after an international media consortium revealed news of Israeli company NSO Group's spyware Pegasus which has potentially targetted Indian ministers, journalists, activists and businessmen. The NGO Group sells this software only to government agencies.

The news comes a day after BJP members staged a walk-out from a committee meeting, stating that no meetings should be scheduled while the House is in session. Dubey also added that no meetings should be held until a decision has been made on the notice.