NEW DELHI: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi would make “all efforts” that “no discussion” is held in the Parliament over the Adani issue.
Gandhi’s remarks came after Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha proceedings on Monday were adjourned for the day following protests by opposition parties demanding a joint parliamentary committee probe into the allegations of stock manipulation against the Adani Group.
The budget session of Parliament resumed on Monday, two days after both Houses were adjourned due to uproar by the Opposition over the Adani-Hindenburg row.
Speaking to the reporters here, Gandhi alleged that the government will put in efforts to make sure that here is no discussion on the Adani issue inside the Parliament.
“The government will try its best that no discussion takes place on the Adani issue in Parliament. The government should allow a discussion on this in the Parliament. You will see, all efforts will be made. Not the government, PM Modi will make all efforts that there is no discussion on Adani in the
Parliament. There is a reason behind it. You know the reason,” the Congress MP said.
Gandhi said that the country should know which power is behind Adani.
“I have been raising this issue for the past 2-3 years. I want that there should be a discussion on this and everything should be clear. There should be a discussion on the corruption of crores of rupees that have taken place, and India’s infrastructure has been captured. The country should know which power is behind Adani,” he said.
Earlier today, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh came down heavily on the central government amid the ongoing Hindenburg-Adani row, saying that the Central government is running away from answering over the Adani issue.
In a tweet, Jairam Ramesh wrote, “For the third consecutive day, the opposition in Parliament was not allowed to raise the demand of JPC regarding the Adani scam. Both the houses were adjourned till 2.00 pm. It is clear that the Modi government is running away.”
Meanwhile, Congress has launched a countrywide protest in front of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) offices and State Bank of India (SBI) branches today to protest over the issue.
Earlier in the day, Opposition MPs gathered at the Gandhi statue on the Parliament premises, to stage a protest. Discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address was scheduled to be held in both houses today.
This comes after the Budget Session was adjourned for two days till today after repeated disruptions following ruckus inside the Parliament with the Opposition demanding a debate on the US short-seller Hindenburg Research’s report against the Adani Group and a probe by a JPC.
Notably, the Opposition parties including Congress, DMK, NCP, BRS, JD(U), SP, CPM, CPI, Kerala Congress (Jose Mani), JMM, RLD, RSP, AAP, IUML, RJD and Shiv Sena also constituted a meeting in LoP Mallikarjun Kharge’s chamber in Parliament to chalk out a strategy on Adani-Hindenburg and other issues.
A January 24 report by Hindenburg Research alleged that the Adani Group had weak business fundamentals, and was involved in stock manipulation and accounting fraud, among others. The report triggered a sell-off of shares of Adani Group companies.
The first half of the Budget session will continue till February 13 and the second half will be held from March 13 to April 6. The budget session began with the address by President Droupadi Murmu to the joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament. Union Budget was presented on February 1. (ANI)