Logjam continues in Parliament over Rahul Gandhi remarks, Adani issue

Terming it as a non-issue, Giriraj Singh said, "Adani-Ambani is just an excuse, they just want to abuse Modi".

The issue of demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani-Hindenburg issue and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remarks in the UK criticising the government continued to cause an impasse in Parliament with proceedings of both the Houses getting adjourned after transacting minimal business on Tuesday.

All the Opposition parties have joined the protest. Though the Trinamool Congress (TMC) did not attend the meeting of 16 party leaders called by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, its MPs staged a protest in front of the Gandhi statue in Parliament complex, asking the government to stop “protecting” the Adani group. 

Aam Aadmi Party, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, Janata Dal (United), Samajwadi Party, and Shiv Sena (Uddhav), among others, joined the meeting deciding to raise the Adani matter in the House. 

Rahul Gandhi kept up the pressure and launched a video (paid and unpaid) asking: “Is the objective of India’s foreign policy to make Adani richer? In the last nine years, Modi ji has kept India in ‘bhram (confusion)’ and Adani in ‘vishwa bhraman (global travel)’ along with him,” Gandhi alleged in the video.  

Asked about Congress’ allegations, Union Minister Giriraj Singh said outside Parliament: “Adani had made it clear that the first break was given to him was given by (Congress CM) Chimanbhai Patel...the second break was given by Rajiv Gandhi. (They believe that) if Adani does development for the country then it should be only under their rule not in any other rule.” 

Terming it as a non-issue, he said, “Adani-Ambani is just an excuse, they just want to abuse Modi.” 

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi met some ministers, Congress Parliamentary Party Chairperson Sonia Gandhi held consultations with senior leaders at the party office to discuss the strategy in the wake of the government’s attack on Rahul Gandhi.

Several Congress leaders had given adjournment notices in the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha for discussing the Adani issue, but these were rejected by the Chairman and the Speaker.

There was no word on the ruling by the Rajya Sabha chairman on expunging references to an unnamed Congress leader by Leader of the Upper House Piyush Goyal earlier in the week, as he referred to remarks made by this leader in the UK that criticised the state of democracy in India. Goyal said he did not refer to Gandhi by name, while Opposition leaders said his attack on their leader violated the rule that members of the Lok Sabha cannot be named in the Rajya Sabha.

This week is unlikely to yield any productive results. As discussions on demands for grants are slated to be cleared, they will likely be amid a din.