RaGa Backed 'Bharat Tere Tukde Honge' Slogan at Indian University Before Cambridge 'Insult', Says Irani; Cong's Notice in RS

Rahul Gandhi speech row and the ‘misuse of ED and CBI’ are expected to rock the Parliament again on March 15. The Wayanad MP is expected to attend the session today amid Centre’s demand for an apology from Gandhi for allegedly insinuating the Indian democracy and Parliament.

The second part of the Budget session of Parliament, which started on Monday, is seeing repeated disruption of proceedings over the remarks made by the Congress leader during his recent visit to the UK. Parliament on Tuesday “to deliberate on the government’s strategy in the House.

The Congress, on the other hand, hit back at PM Modi for his attacks on the Gandhi scion, saying that even the prime minister had criticized the country on several of his trips abroad. Hence, they sought an apology from the PM as well.

Congress media and publicity department head Pawan Khera claimed that the prime minister in his remarks abroad said that people considered it unfortunate to be born in India, and asked if he was not worried of what he was doing to the country’s image.

“Mr. Prime Minister, you attack democracy and that is why discussions are held on it. If challenges to democracy are being discussed in front of Cambridge University students, then that is an effort to strengthen democracy,” the Congress leader said.

“You have some misgivings about yourself. You are just the PM, you are not God, you are not the creator, you don’t make the sun rise…do away with these misgivings about yourself,” he said.

‘Misuse of ED and CBI’

Meanwhile, the Opposition parties are planning to meet and step up their attack on the government by demanding discussion on misuse of ED and CBI. There is a possibility that opposition may March to ED office in Delhi.

A group of opposition leaders is trying to get eight Opposition parties to work in unison. The leaders of these parties had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on March 5 against what they saw as the blatant misuse of central agencies

As a part of the plan, Samajwadi Party leader and former Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav is expected to travel to Kolkata on March 17 to meet West Bengal chief minister Mama ta Banerjee.

A report in Hindustan Times quoted on opposition leader working to get the grouping going as saying that a meeting of the eight parties is being scheduled during the ongoing budget session in Delhi. “It will be scheduled after taking consent of leaders of all eight parties,” added this person who asked not to be named.

The Congress does not figure in these plans, which, if they come to fruition could see the emergence of a united grouping ahead of next year’s national elections, although, currently, the aim is to take on the BJP in key issues, the HT report stated. The March 5 letter cited the case against Delhi’s former deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal of the Aam Adami Party, his West Bengal counterpart Mama ta Banerjee of the Trinomial Congress, Telangana CM K Chandrashekar Rao of BRS, Bihar deputy CM Tejaswi Yadav of RJD, former CMS Yadav of SP, Shared Pa war of NCP, Farooq Abdullah NC and Uddhav Thackeray of the Shiva Sena (UBT), will be invited for the meeting to evolve a common strategy for the 2024 election, the leader was further quoted.

Repeated Adjournments in Parliament

The two consecutive days in Parliament have been washed out, with both the ruling dispensation and the Congress-led Opposition sticking to their demands. On Tuesday, both the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha couldn’t function amid disruptions and protests from both sides.

While the Centre is seeking an apology from Gandhi, the Congress and like-minded parties want a JPC on Adani-Hindenburg issue. The session now has 17 days left before it ends on 6 April. The government needs to pass the finance bill and the ministry-wise demand for grants in this session.

On Wednesday, the opposition will consider the proposal for a letter against the government signed by all MPs and a march to the ED office.

Congress leader Jair am Ramesh clarified that the party will continue to demand a JPC. “Modi Govt’s continued refusal to even allow the combined Opposition to raise its legitimate demand for a JPC into the PM-linked Adani MagaMegaScam has resulted in an impasse in Parliament. This is the ONLY issue. Anything else is a deliberate diversion by the PM & his colleagues,” he tweeted.

The Congress’ parliamentary strategy met for twice in as many days and decided to stick to its demand for a JPC on Adani-Hindenburg, a report in Mint stated.