News Mania Desk / Piyal Chatterjee / 9th December 2024
Leaders of some INDIA bloc parties protested in the Parliament complex on Monday over the Adani row, with Rahul Gandhi conducting a mock ‘interview’ on the topic with Congress members wearing masks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and entrepreneur Gautam Adani.
Standing outside Parliament’s Makar Dwar, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, together with MPs from other opposition parties, chanted the shouts “Modi, Adani ek hain” and “we want justice”.Following the sloganeering, Rahul Gandhi conducted a mock ‘interview’ with Congress leaders dressed in Modi and Adani masks. Gandhi questioned the party member wearing the Adani mask why Parliament was not allowed to function, to which the Congress MP (acting as Adani) replied, “We’ll have to inquire.
The Congress leader sporting mask of Adani also said, “He does whatever I say and want… be it airport or anything else.” On why Modi was silent, the Congress MP posing as Adani said, “this man is in tension these days”, evoking laughter around.
Asked what was his next plan and what he proposed to buy now, the Congress MP wearing the Adani mask said, “we have not decided yet. We have a meeting this evening.”
The Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party, and Aam Aadmi Party did not join the demonstration. However, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav stated that the absence of some politicians should not be taken too seriously, adding that “all is well” within the opposition bloc.
MPs from the Left, DMK, Shiv Sena (UBT), RJD, and NCP raised chants demanding a discussion and an investigation of the Adani Group. The demonstration took place in front of Parliament’s Makar Dwar rather than on the steps leading to it, as advised by the Lok Sabha Secretariat not to protest on the steps.
Opposition protests on the Adani issue have been taking place inside Parliament since the beginning of the winter session. Following Adani’s and other business leaders’ indictment in a US court, the Congress and some other opposition parties have called for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) investigation. The Congress has said Adani’s indictment “vindicates” its call for a JPC investigation into the multiple “scams” involving the billionaire industrialist’s conglomerates.
Rahul Gandhi has demanded Adani’s immediate arrest. The Adani Group has denied all claims as “baseless”.
