‘Baseless’ allegations to distract from Adani: Rahul Gandhi on Parliament stalemate
The leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, met with Speaker Om Birla on Wednesday. He requested the removal of comments made by BJP parliamentarians against him and sought the smooth functioning of the House.
Gandhi addressed allegations from the BJP, stating they were making “unfounded” claims to “shift focus” from the Adani matter, but emphasized he would remain unaffected by these accusations. “The situation is straightforward – they’re avoiding discussion on the Adani issue by creating diversions. But we will persist until the end,” he stated.
He further mentioned that he and his party were keen on discussing the Constitution in Lok Sabha beginning December 13, and confirmed their commitment to ensuring parliamentary proceedings continue, despite it not being their primary duty.
“During my discussion with the Speaker, I conveyed our party’s request to remove disparaging remarks made against me. The Speaker indicated he would review them. Despite the BJP’s continuous unfounded allegations, we remain committed to ensuring the House functions.
“Regardless of their provocations, we will accommodate them. However, we will strive to maintain parliamentary operations. We desire proper debate and discussion. Specifically, we’re looking forward to a meaningful debate on the Constitution on December 13,” Gandhi explained to reporters outside Parliament.
“While ensuring the House’s functionality isn’t our responsibility, we will fully support its smooth operation,” Gandhi emphasized.
Earlier that day, Congress Deputy Leader in Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi submitted a written request to the Speaker, asking for an examination of the party’s grievance regarding BJP MP Nishikant Dubey’s “defamatory statements” about Rahul Gandhi and their subsequent removal from records.
When questioned about BJP’s claims linking Congress leadership with American billionaire George Soros, Gandhi responded, “They will continue making allegations, but we remain focused on ensuring the House functions. Whatever accusations they level against me, let them.”
Earlier in the day, Gandhi and Congress parliamentarians, along with several INDIA bloc members, welcomed BJP representatives with placards and national flags, encouraging them to allow parliamentary proceedings.
In a brief encounter, Rahul Gandhi attempted to present the flag to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, but the latter moved along after exchanging courteous greetings.
Gandhi’s commitment to smooth parliamentary functioning gains significance as both houses have experienced multiple adjournments over the past three days regarding the George Soros controversy.
The Rajya Sabha faced adjournment for the day on Wednesday afternoon without conducting any business, amid chaos created by both the Bharatiya Janata Party and Opposition members over the no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar and discussions surrounding Hungarian-American businessman George Soros.
BJP President J.P. Nadda leveled accusations against the Congress, claiming they were collaborating with billionaire investor George Soros to undermine national stability, and called for a detailed discussion. He expressed strong disapproval of the opposition’s no-confidence motion against Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, suggesting it was a calculated move to deflect attention from the alleged “connections between Congress leadership and Soros”.
“I must bring to everyone’s attention that for the past 48 hours, our members have been persistently questioning the nature of the relationship between Congress’s top leadership and George Soros. What exactly is the connection between Soros and Sonia Gandhi?” Nadda questioned.
Regarding the no-confidence motion against Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, Nadda argued that the Opposition was attempting to shift focus from crucial matters by targeting the Chair. “This appears to be a strategic maneuver to divert national attention from issues concerning our country’s sovereignty and threats to both internal and external security, with Congress playing a significant role. They’re becoming instruments in the hands of foreign entities, supporting their agenda, and this warrants thorough discussion.”
The Lok Sabha witnessed adjournment until 2 pm on Wednesday, following heated exchanges between treasury and opposition benches over alleged connections between Congress leadership and US-billionaire George Soros-supported organizations, alongside the government’s perceived inadequate handling of the Manipur crisis. Tensions escalated when Congress’s deputy leader Gaurav Gogoi raised concerns about Manipur violence, suggesting BJP was using the Soros issue as a smokescreen for their failures in the northeastern state.
“When will the Prime Minister visit Manipur? Has he forgotten its status as an Indian state? Despite the Home Minister’s oversight, normalcy remains elusive, while drug trafficking and illegal logging continue to rise. Parliament deserves his presence and explanation. The BJP administration is wielding ‘George Soros’ as a diversionary tactic to mask their failures regarding Manipur and Adani,” Gogoi told PTI.
Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal responded forcefully, alleging that Congress leadership maintained connections with Soros-backed organizations supposedly working to destabilize India.
