The parliament was adjourned for the third consecutive day on Thursday, March 16th, amid a stand-off between the Opposition and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over Congress party’s member of the Parliament (MP) Rahul Gandhi’s remarks in the UK and the Hindenburg research on the Adani conglomerate.
Both houses of the parliament witnessed a fiery confrontation between the BJP and Opposition MPs, and counter-sloganeering for two days. The BJP MPs continued demanding Gandhi’s apology for his alleged anti-India speech in Cambridge, whereas the INC countered the argument, refusing to meet such a demand.
The INC and several other members of the Opposition alleged that raising the issue related to Gandhi’s remarks in the UK is a subterfuge to hinder the Opposition’s demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into Hindenburg research on the Adani group.
Earlier, on February 28th, at an event at Cambridge University’s Judge Business School (JBS), Gandhi criticised the BJP-led Union government for allegedly subverting the ethos of democracy by suppressing the Opposition and endorsing the right-wing forces.
Later, the BJP blamed Gandhi for allegedly delivering an anti-India speech on foreign soil and tarnishing the image of India in front of foreign representatives. Furthermore, the BJP MPs demanded Gandhi’s apology in the parliament.
The INC, on the other hand, upped the ante by refusing to meet the demand and received support from the Opposition on the issue. Technocrat and INC politician Sam Pitroda alleged that the BJP deliberately twisted Gandhi’s remarks to defame the INC and the Gandhi family.
The other opposition parties, on the other hand, criticised the BJP for its alleged malintent to deter the JPC probe into the Adani issue, alluding to the alleged collusion between BJP and Adani group. In a series of tweets, the parliamentary representatives of the Opposition slammed the speaker of the Lok Sabha and ex-officio chairman of the Rajya Sabha for allegedly gagging the Opposition MPs in the parliament.
Earlier, on Wednesday, March 15th, the Opposition leaders slammed the Union government for preventing a contingent of their MPs from submitting a memorandum at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office apropos of a thorough investigation of the Adani issue. The Opposition leaders also made an allegation that the police imposed section 144 and occluded the road at Vijay Chowk as they marched to the ED office.
Gandhi, around whom all this commotion erupted, reportedly said that he is ready to defend himself and clarify his speech at the Cambridge JBS if he is allowed to do so.
