INDIA bloc cracks visible in Parliament as SP and TMC skip Adani protests
New Delhi/IBNS: The cracks within the anti-Modi front in Parliament were visible for the second time this week after big INDIA bloc constituents- Samajwadi Party (SP) and Trinamool Congress (TMC)- skipped the protests against billionaire Gautam Adani who has been indicted in the United States, media reports said.
Congress, the main opposition party, and its allies were led by Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi in protesting on the Adani issue.
The SP (37 seats) and TMC (29 seats), which are the third and fourth largest parties in the Lok Sabha, skipping the joint protest is an apparent jolt to the INDIA bloc, which has suffered hurts in the recently held Haryana and Maharashtra assembly elections.
INDIA गठबंधन के नेताओं ने अडानी के घोटालों के खिलाफ संसद परिसर में प्रदर्शन किया।
— Congress (@INCIndia) December 3, 2024
मोदी सरकार अडानी के मामले पर चर्चा से भाग रही है। pic.twitter.com/tPmTWjaZTu
TMC, which is headed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, on Monday skipped the Opposition meeting on the US indictment against billionaire Gautam Adani.
Last week, TMC national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee cleared his party aimed to corner the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government at the Centre on issues concerning West Bengal.
Abhishek had said as quoted by NDTV, "Our stand is very clear. We will give priority to the issues of Bengal first. The Centre has blocked Bengal's dues. We want discussions in Parliament on these issues. Go and ask Congress. I have said we will prioritise Bengal's issues. What's their stand?"
As per reports, the TMC has expressed its reluctance in questioning the Modi government on the Adani issue claiming corruption doesn't make an impact on elections.
संसद में आज INDIA गठबंधन के फ्लोर लीडर्स की मीटिंग हुई।
— Congress (@INCIndia) December 2, 2024
मीटिंग में नेता विपक्ष श्री राहुल गांधी और INDIA गठबंधन के नेता मौजूद रहे।
मोदी सरकार देश के अहम मुद्दों पर चर्चा से भाग रही है और सदन नहीं चलने दे रही। pic.twitter.com/fMvJJOR5Tr
When a top Congress leader had invited TMC to join the previous meeting to corner the Modi government, Mamata's party colleague had refused stating corruption is no longer a poll issue, a Bengali news report said.
"Corruption no longer impacts elections," the TMC leader had said as quoted in the media.
While the Congress wants to raise the Adani issue in Parliament suspending all other businesses, the TMC is in favour of no disruption of the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha.
The TMC has said it would like to raise the Manipur unrest issue in Parliament and seek the Modi government's action to restore peace in the northeastern state.
Adani Green claims no bribery charges against Gautam Adani and his nephew in US indictment
The Adani Green Energy Limited has claimed no bribery charges have been levelled against billionaire and tycoon Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani and senior Adani Group executive Vneet Jain in the US indictment, countering several media reports.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Adani Green claimed the media reports were "incorrect".
"Mr. Gautam Adani, Mr. Sagar Adani and Mr. Vneet Jaain have not been charged with any violation of the FCPA in the counts set forth in the indictment of the US DOJ or civil complaint of the US SEC.
"These directors have been charged on three counts in the criminal indictment namely (i) alleged securities fraud conspiracy, (ii) alleged wire fraud conspiracy, and (iii) alleged securities fraud," the statement read.