Opposition blames govt for Parliament impasse, vows not to back down on JPC demand

PTI, Mar 20, 2023, 8:17 PM IST

Representative Image (Source: PTI)

New Delhi: Several opposition parties on Monday alleged that the government does not want Parliament to function and is finding ways to divert attention from their demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe (JPC) into the Adani issue.

Leaders of these parties, including 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 this morning and coordinated their strategy on their demand for the JPC.

Addressing the media after the first adjournment of both houses, the opposition leaders blamed the government for the impasse.

”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,” Congress deputy leader in Rajya Sabha Pramod Tiwari said.

He said that nothing happens in the BJP without the directions of the prime minister.”Despite several attempts our demand for a JPC is not being accepted,” Tiwari told reporters outside Parliament House.

”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.

”You may carry on with ‘police Raj’, .. this seems just a trailer of dictatorship and the real dictatorship is yet to come,” he charged.

AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh tweeted, ”Even before Opposition members could sit down, BJP MPs started sloganeering and Rajya Sabha got adjourned almost instantly around 2 pm itself till tomorrow 11 am.” ”It is clear that the Modi Government does not want Parliament to function,” he alleged.

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, he earlier said in another tweet.

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 alleged.

”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.

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 back down 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 ruling party MPs ”were trying to create hurdles in Parliament”, while the opposition wanted a discussion and a JPC on the Adani issue.

Ram Gopal Yadav of the Samajwadi Party said if a JPC probe is undertaken, the real culprits will be revealed and the BJP will stand ”exposed”.

”It is happening for the first time that there is no statement from the government on such a serious issue. People’s money in banks is on the verge of being squandered. Still, the government is silent,” he claimed.

BRS leader K Keshava Rao said they are not satisfied with the Supreme Court inquiry.

”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 claimed.

”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 give answers to the nation”.

There has been logjam in Parliament since the Budget session resumed, with the ruling BJP demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi over his ‘democracy in danger’ remark in the UK and the Opposition parties pressing for the JPC probe.

On the Adani issue, the government has said that the matteris being looked into by the Supreme Court which has constituted a committee in this regard.