NEW DELHI: The Winter Session of Parliament was washed out on Monday, with both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha erupting over George Soros-Congress links and accusations of Adani being protected by the ruling BJP, respectively, as the House opened for the third week. Proceedings were adjourned in both Houses for the day around mid-afternoon, following several adjournments through the day in Lok Sabha as well as in Rajya Sabha.
When Lok Sabha met at 11 am after the weekend, Opposition members were on their feet, trying to raise their issues. A visibly agitated Speaker Om Birla asked the MPs to return to their seats and allow the House to function. “Question Hour is significant. Allow the House to function properly. The country wants the House to run. You are disrupting the proceedings of the House,” he told the protesting members and adjourned the House till 12 noon. The noisy protests again forced an adjournment till 2 pm and then till 3 pm, before the proceedings were wrapped for the day.
As the House re-convened at noon, Congress members trooped into the well in Lok Sabha raising slogans against the government. They were soon joined by Samajwadi Party members. Congress MPs were heard saying that they had submitted notices to move a privilege motion against BJP member Nishikant Dubey for attempts to link Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and former Congress chief Sonia Gandhi with US-based billionaire George Soros-backed outfits allegedly involved in anti-India activities.
Opposition members raised slogans — “Modi Sarkar down down”, “Modi Sarkar shame shame” and “we want justice” as BJP MP Sandhya Ray, who was in the chair, took up tabling of parliamentary papers. TMC, RJD were seen standing in the aisle or at their seats in support of the protest. SP member Dharmendra Yadav also raised the issue of farmers. He was heard saying “Pure desh ka kisan pareshan hai”. After papers were tabled in the House, Ray informed the House that notices given by Congress leaders were under consideration by Birla.
Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day amid uproar over BJP accusing top Congress leaders of colluding with billionaire investor George Soros to destabilise the country. Opposition protests led by Congress alleged that BJP was raising this issue to divert attention from the Adani issue and demanded to know under what rule Rajya Sabha chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar allowing the treasury benches to speak. Dhankhar had rejected all notices received under Rule 267 seeking to set aside business of the day to take up the issue being raised in the notices.
The Upper House was finally adjourned around 4pm, after three adjournments. Soon after the House assembled at 11 am, MPs from the treasury benches were on their feet, raising slogans, demanding answers from Congress over reports of alleged links of some of its top leaders with Soros, who they accused of conspiring to destabilise the country and its economy.
Opposition members claimed this was the ruling party’s way of diverting attention from the Adani issue and continued to press for a discussion on it.
Dhankhar met with leaders of both sides in his chamber and said “integrity and sovereignty of the nation are sacred for us. We cannot allow any forces to sacrilege our unity, our integrity and our sovereignty,” urging the leaders to meet in his chamber at 10.30 am on Tuesday.
Leader of the House J P Nadda raised the Soros issue saying BJP members were agitated over an issue that involved Congress leaders and wanted a discussion, soon after House reassembled for Zero Hour at 12 noon. He repeated his charges soon after the House met after lunch. “The link between Forum of Democratic Leaders in the Asia-Pacific (FDL-AP) and Soros is a matter of concern. Its co-president is a member of this House,” he said, referring to Sonia Gandhi.
Dhankhar sought to know why the treasury benches were protesting, and was told BJP MPs alleged that the top Congress leadership has links with Soros and they demanded a discussion as it was connected to national security.
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge and other Congress MPs like Jairam Ramesh and Pramod Tiwari asked how the chairman was allowing the ruling party MPs to raise the issue when he had rejected their notices in this regard.
CPM’s Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya asked, “Why PM can’t make a statement… This is an accusation to protect (hide) their failure. Total disruption to protect their failure.” John Brittas (CPM) said, “Let there be a discussion on George Soros and Adani together on the floor of the House.” CPI’s Sandosh Kumar P said, “This is a calculated move to save Adani, to divert attention.”