New Delhi: MPs of several INDIA bloc parties protested on the Parliament premises on Tuesday over the Adani issue and reiterated their demand for a probe by a joint parliamentary committee into the matter.
MPs of the Congress, AAP, RJD, Shiv Sena (UBT), DMK and the Left parties, among others, raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and demanded accountability.
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, AAP’s Sanjay Singh, RJD’s Misa Bharti and Shiv Sena (UBT)’s Arvind Sawant also participated in the protest on the steps leading to the Parliament’s Makar Dwar.
In a post on Facebook, Gandhi said, “Protesting at Makar Dwar, Parliament complex, today, asking the real question: Who benefits from Adani’s billions, Modi ji? The Prime Minister’s silence speaks volumes.”
The Congress and some other Opposition parties have been demanding a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe following the indictment of Adani Group chairperson Gautam Adani and other company officials by US prosecutors on bribery and fraud charges.
However, some other opposition parties, especially the TMC, have not attached the same priority to the Adani row and from the start wanted Parliament to discuss a host of different issues, including unemployment, price rise and the Centre’s alleged discrimination against opposition-ruled states in fund allocation.
The TMC has skipped opposition meetings on formulating the INDIA bloc’s joint strategy during the session.
Meanwhile, almost the entire Opposition in the Lok Sabha, including Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi, walked out briefly from the House over the recent violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal.
As soon as the House assembled to take up the Question Hour, Samajwadi Party (SP) president Akhilesh Yadav stood up and raised the issue, seeking Speaker Om Birla’s permission to speak on the subject.
“This is a very serious matter. Five people have lost their lives,” Yadav said.
The speaker said members could raise the issue in the Zero Hour, prompting Yadav and his party colleagues to start walking out in protest. Some SP members, however, rushed to the Well, raising slogans. While the SP members were protesting in the Well, DMK member A Raja was seen exhorting other Opposition members, including those from the Congress, to rise from their seats and join the protest.