Speaking after the Lok Sabha session was adjourned over the Opposition’s demand of discussion on Sambhal and Adani, Gandhi brushed aside claims of ’no FCPA violation’..reports Asian Lite News
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said businessman Gautam Adani should be arrested after his indictment in the US and accused the government of protecting him.
Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, Gandhi, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, said when hundreds of people are arrested on “tiny” charges in the country, why is Adani not in jail?
The reiteration by Gandhi comes hours after the Adani Group said the billionaire and his nephew Sagar Adani have not been charged with any violations of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in the indictment filed by US authorities in a court in a bribery case.
“You think the Adanis are going to accept the charges. Which world are you living in? Obviously, he is going to deny the charges,” Gandhi said when asked about the denial of charges by the Adani Group.
“The point is he has to be arrested. As we have said, hundreds of people are being arrested on tiny charges and the gentleman has been indicted in the United States for thousands of crores. He should be in jail… The government is protecting him,” the former Congress chief said.
Gandhi was the first to demand the arrest of Adani after charges of alleged bribery were made out by the US against the businessman. Earlier, Adani’s lawyer Mukul Rohtagi said there are no specific charges against the businessman or his associates and the accusations of bribery are very general and no specifics on who gave the bribe to whom are not specified.
‘Why is the govt afraid of the word Adani?’
Opposition leaders in Parliament on Wednesday expressed their concerns over the frequent and early adjournments in the Lok Sabha, calling for discussions on important “national issues,” especially related to the Adani Group, Manipur, and the recent clashes in Sambhal.
Congress MP in the Rajya Sabha Randeep Surjewala raised the issue of corruption, especially related to the bribery allegations against the Adani Group, and questioned the government’s reluctance to allow a debate on the matter.
He further called for a discussion on incidents in Sambhal and violence in Manipur, stressing the need for accountability in Parliament.
“Repeatedly adjourning the Parliament cannot be in the national interest. Discussion on corruption is in the national interest…What does the govt have against a discussion on this issue? Why is the govt afraid of the word ‘Adani’?…There should be a discussion in Parliament on the Sambhal incident and violence in Manipur…It is important that there is discussion in Parliament and accountability is fixed,” Surjewala said.
Meanwhile, Congress MP Karti Chidambaram criticised the frequent adjournments, stating that it was unfortunate both the houses get adjourned with “transacting business.” He urged the union government and the Speaker to allow the opposition to raise pressing issues, including Manipur, the incident in Uttar Pradesh, and allegations against Adani.
“It is unfortunate that the Houses get adjourned so frequently without transacting business. The government and the speaker must allow us to raise the issues, particularly the adjournment issues… We want to talk about Manipur, the incident in Uttar Pradesh, the indictment of a large business house, and other pressing issues,” Chidambaram said.
Shiromani Akali Dal MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal also weighed in, stating that it is the government’s responsibility to run the House efficiently, highlingting the importance of answering questions raised by the opposition to avoid disruptions.
“The onus of running the House is on the government, and if the opposition is asking any questions, then it is their duty to answer them… Answer the questions that the opposition is asking so that they do not get a chance to create a ruckus. And the issues of the public, the issue of farmers, unemployment is a big issue, inflation is an issue; in my state our capital is being snatched from us, our water is being snatched from us, our Punjab University elections are not being held. Where should I raise these issues, so the public money is being wasted?” Badal added.
The Lok Sabha on Wednesday was adjourned for the day amid a huge ruckus over the opposition’s demand to discuss various issues, including the Adani indictment. Meanwhile, Rajya Sabha was also adjourned for the day.
Earlier, the lower house was adjourned till 12:00 in the afternoon on the second day of the winter session of Parliament. After Union Minister Jitendra Singh’s motion was passed, sitting in the chair, BJP MP Dilip Saikia announced that the lower house has been adjourned for the day till November 28 at 11:00 AM.
This comes after the opposition MPs gave notices to move an adjournment motion in both the lower and upper houses to discuss issues related to Manipur, the Adani indictment, and the ongoing violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal. (ANI)
ALSO READ: India Welcomes Israel-Lebanon Ceasefire
