New Delhi: Several opposition parties on Monday accused the government of stalling Parliament and finding ways to divert attention from the opposition demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe (JPC) into the Adani issue.
Leaders of opposition parties, including those from the Congress, DMK, RJD, CPI-M, CPI, NCP, JDU, AAP, and Shiv Sena, met in the chamber of Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge in Parliament House complex in the morning and coordinated their strategy on the demand for a JPC into the Adani issue.
They later addressed the media after the first adjournment of both houses.
Speaking to reporter outside Parliament House, Congress deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwari claimed nothing happens in the BJP without the directions of the prime minister.
Despite several attempts our demand for a JPC is not being accepted, he said.
“Why is the government shying away from JPC…The BJP is running away from JPC and is finding ways to divert attention and is not allowing Parliament to function,” he alleged.
“We have pledged that till the time JPC is not constituted, we will not budge and continue with our struggle. This is not for leaders, but for the people,” Tiwari said.
“You may carry on with ‘police Raj’, it is indicative of dictatorship. This seems just a trailer of dictatorship and the real dictatorship is yet to come,” he charged.
AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh tweeted, “the Modi Government’s adamant refusal to allow the Opposition to raise its perfectly legitimate demand for a JPC into the PM-linked Adani ‘Maha Mega Scam’ has resulted in the adjournment of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha this morning till 2 pm.”
Tiwari also slammed the manner in which police illegally gathered at the residence of Rahul Gandhi on Sunday.
Several opposition leaders have been harassed through misuse of ED and other agencies, he claimed.
“We are only demanding a JPC probe into the biggest scam into the Adani issue and how rules were flouted to hand over all the assets of the country to him.This is not the first time that a JPC will be constituted, as this a very ‘big scam’ probably in independent India,” he noted.
Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party said if a JPC probe is held then the real culprits will come out and the BJP will stand “exposed”.
“We are seeing for the first time that there is no statement from the government at a time when the public is concerned on such a serious issue. People’s money in banks is on the verge of being ‘squandered’. Still government is silent,” he claimed.
BRS leader K Keshava Rao said we have been demanding an inquiry into the Adani issue from day one of the Budget session.
“We are not satisfied with the Supreme Court probe. Adani (Group) has taken over many companies. We want a JPC probe. It is a political scam. This is not a simple scandal or a scam, it is more than that. It is going to affect the economy and people’s money,” he asserted.
“We are not asking for any favour and if there is any doubt let us go for an inquiry by some credible agency and JPC is one,” he said.
A Raja of the DMK demanded that the “PM should come to Parliament and should give answers to the nation”.
Elamaram Kareem of the CPI(M) said the prime minister and home minister are “afraid” of holding a discussion in Parliament and are not agreeing to their demand.
“They (the BJP) are responsible for the adjournments. We will continue our demand for a JPC probe into the Adani issue. We will not go back from our demand. The government is trying to divert attention and we will not allow the government to hide,” he said.
Priyanka Chaturvedi of the Shiv Sena (UBT) said for the first time we are seeking ruling party MPs trying to create hurdles in Parliament.
“We want there should be a discussion and a JPC on the Adani issue,” she said.
The opposition has been demanding a JPC into the Adani issue and has been stalling Parliament over the issue.
The government has said that the matter is being looked into by the Supreme Court which has constituted a committee in this regard.
