NEW DELHI: The stalemate in Parliament is likely to continue for the fourth consecutive week starting tomorrow as the ruling and Opposition parties are not only firm on their demands, but have also hardened their stance.
The BJP has been insisting on an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on democracy in India while the Opposition has been pressing for a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the Adani-Hindenburg issue.
The Congress-led Opposition parties, barring the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) and the Trinamool Congress (TMC), have hardened their position on the JPC probe demand even as Rahul has decided to move against the Surat trial court’s verdict over his “Modi surname” remark. Congress leader Jairam Ramesh today said no middle path had been found yet and the Budget session was most likely to be a washout. “If the JPC demand is in the bin, the Bills will be passed in the din, sadly,” he noted.
The BJP also hardened its position, with party national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla today demanding that the Congress should also apologise to the “OBC community” for Rahul’s “Modi surname” remark. However, the NCP and the TMC have shown some signs of flexibility as they said a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the Adani-Hindenburg issue would be a better option than the JPC probe. NCP chief Sharad Pawar, briefing media in Nagpur last evening, said a probe by a Supreme Court-formed panel into the Gautam Adani issue would prove to be more effective than a JPC probe sought by the Congress.
“In view of the present strength of the BJP in Parliament, it would be better to have an SC panel to probe the Adani issue,” he said, adding that a JPC probe may prove to be futile as the panel might comprise more members from the ruling party.
Even the TMC batted for a court-monitored probe. “We have nothing to do with the demand of other parties for a JPC probe on the Adani issue. We want a court-monitored probe,” TMC leader Derek O’Brien has said.
American securities research firm Hindenburg Research has accused the Adani Group of fraud and stock manipulation. But the business conglomerate has so far denied the charges.
Both the first half of the Budget session and the ongoing second half have witnessed bitter exchanges between the ruling BJP and the Opposition parties, leading to disruptions of proceedings in both Houses of Parliament.
Last month, the Supreme Court had ordered a probe into the matter and issued directions for setting up an experts’ committee to be headed by its retired judge AM Sapre. It also sought a status report from markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) on its investigation in the matter within two months.