Under attack by the opposition over reports of snooping of prominent citizens using Israeli Pegasus spyware, Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday claimed that "disruptors and obstructers" will not be able to derail India's development trajectory through their "conspiracies".
In a statement, Shah said: "People have often associated this phrase with me in a lighter vein but today I want to seriously say - the timing of the selective leaks, the disruptions... 'Aap Chronology Samajhiye' (understand the chronology). This is a report by the disrupters for the obstructers."
"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 contended.
The Home Minister stated that "disruptors and obstructers will not be able to derail India's development trajectory through their conspiracies and monsoon session will bear new fruits of progress".
Referring to timing of the reports' release, Shah 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."
"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.
Hitting out at the opposition, Shah said: "Just a few days ago the Council of Ministers was expanded with great emphasis given to 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 want to keep showing India in poor light? What pleasure do they get to time and again show India in bad light?"
Attacking the Congress, he said: "To see the rudderless Congress jump on to this bandwagon is not unexpected. They have good past 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."
About the opposition's behaviour in the Parliament when Prime Minister Narendra Modi was introducing his new ministers, Shah said: "When the Prime Minister rose in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha to introduce his Council of Ministers, which is a well-established norm, the Congress-led Opposition was in the well of both the Houses. Is this their respect for Parliamentary norms? The same behaviour continued when the IT Minister was speaking about the issue."
"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," he said.