New Delhi: Amid a Parliament stand-off over his recent remarks related to Indian democracy in London, former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi on Thursday expressed doubts that he would be allowed to speak in the Lok Sabha on Friday. The PM feared the Adani issue and was therefore trying to distract attention from the controversy, he said.
“I went to Parliament this morning with the idea of putting what I have said, what I feel on the floor of the house. Four ministers have raised allegations against me in Parliament House. It is my right to be allowed to speak on the floor of the house. I requested the Speaker today. I went to his chamber and I requested him. I said- look, I would very much like to speak. I told him that people from the BJP have made allegations against me and as a Member of Parliament, it is my right to speak. He was non-committal. In his way, he smiled. I am hopeful that I will be allowed to speak on Friday. But I don’t think they will let me speak,” Rahul told reporters.
“This story started the day I gave my speech in Parliament about Mr Adani. I asked some fundamental questions to Prime Minister about his relationship with the businessman, about how Mr Adani has been given pretty much the entire India-Israel defence relationship. How he is being given the Bombay Airport, other airports, how rules have been changed to allow him to be given these things. What happened in Australia between the Prime Minister, Mr. Adani and the Chairman of the State Bank and one of the Chief Ministers of one of the states in Australia," said Rahul.
"It is a picture that is visible to everybody, why is the Prime Minister of India sitting with the State Bank Chairman, Mr. Adani, and an Australian leader? What is he discussing and why, after that discussion, is almost a billion dollars pledged by the State Bank to Mr. Adani? What was said in Sri Lanka? Why a person made a statement saying- Mr. Rajapaksa told him that Mr. Adani was given the contract and it was basically Mr. Modi who told him the same in Bangladesh,” added.
According to Rahul, “these are relevant questions and the whole idea is that these questions must not be under the table.” “That is why, in this whole exercise of four or five ministers, the Prime Minister is giving a speech to distract from this fundamental question which is, what is the relationship between the Prime Minister of India and Mr. Adani and his companies and more importantly, whose money is in the shell companies? Who is this unknown person, whose money is in the shell companies? What is his relationship with Mr. Adani? These are the questions,” he said.
The Congress leader said he deserved a chance to speak in the Parliament and the ongoing stand-off in Parliament was testing Indian democracy. “If Indian democracy was functioning, I would be able to say my piece in Parliament. So, actually what you are seeing is a test of Indian democracy. After four leaders of the BJP have made an allegation about a Member of Parliament, is that Member of Parliament going to be given the same space that those four Ministers have been given or is he going to be told to shut-up? That’s what the real question in front of this country is right now,” Rahul said.
“I am a Member of Parliament and I am hopeful that I will be allowed to speak in Parliament. It is my right to have the opportunity. It is my democratic right,” he said. Rahul’s remarks came amidst a Parliament logjam since the second half of the Budget Session started March 13.
The Congress-led opposition has been pressing for a joint Parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the Adani-Hindenburg issue saying that such a panel was needed to investigate the alleged links between PM Modi and private businessman Gautam Adani.
The government in turn has been demanding that Rahul Gandhi should first apologize for his remarks against Indian democracy in London recently. Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, who has been leading a group of 17 like-minded parties to demand a JPC probe into the Adani issue, has said that Rahul will not apologise as he did not say anything wrong on foreign soil and that the government ministers were deliberately twisting his remarks.
Kharge and the various party spokespersons have been citing the various remarks made by PM Modi during his foreign visits earlier to allege that it was in fact the premier who had made derogatory remarks against the country and should now apologise for the same.
Kharge has alleged that it was unusual in the history of India’s parliamentary democracy that the ruling BJP was disrupting the two houses of Parliament and not allowing listed business to be conducted.
Besides Rahul’s comments in London, the opposition parties have also been attacking the government saying while their leaders were being targeted by the various central agencies, there was no action against the Adani group companies which have been accused of duping a large number of small investors belonging to the LIC of India and various public sector banks. Rahul, who returned from his London trip on Wednesday, attended Parliament on Thursday.
