Cong MPs give suspension of business notice over Adani row, Rahul's barring

Congress MPs gave suspension of business notice and adjournment motion notice to the respective Houses of Parliament to discuss the Adani issue and Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as MP from Lok Sabha.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari gave suspension of business notice under rule 267 in Rajya Sabha to discuss the "failure of Modi Govt to investigate opaque overseas investment of nearly Rs 20,000 Crores by offshore companies linked to the Adani's into Adani Group of companies."

Congress MP Manickam Tagore gave an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha to discuss the Adani Group issue and the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi.

Congress MP Manish Tewari gave an adjournment motion notice in Lok Sabha to discuss the disqualification of Rahul Gandhi.

 

Congress MP and member of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance, Manish Tewari has suggested the Chairperson of the Committee Jayant Sinha "forthwith examine allegations against Adani Group made by Hindenburg Research".

In a letter to Sinha dated March 24, it suggests that the Committee summon SEBI and RBI, officials from LIC, Ministry of Corporate Affairs and other regulatory bodies "to ascertain whether there were any failures on their part on the Adani issue."

The letter has also been signed by Congress MPs and members Gaurav Gogoi and Pramod Tiwari.

"We find it surprising that this Committee is prepared to have a hearing on the recent SVB bank-run. The said bank is based in California and has little to no effect on the regulatory mechanisms of our country. Yet the Committee is unwilling to have a discussion on the Adani affair which struck a blow to investor confidence in our own capital market," the letter read.

"Finally, may we respectfully point out that it is not required for Members of Parliament to present evidence before exercising their privilege of freedom of speech provided for in Article 105(1) of the Constitution. This privilege is wide and unfettered and extends to meetings of parliamentary committees. It does not require the presentation of evidence beforehand (vide Griffith and Ryle, "Parliament: Functions, Practice, and Procedures"). In any case, allegations regarding the Adani Group are in the public domain and have been debated outside the house for weeks now. Under these circumstances, we would like to urge you to summon representatives of RBI, SBI, LIC, and any other relevant stakeholders to examine the Adani affair in detail," it added.

Earlier on Monday, the opposition led by Congress staged a protest in the Parliament complex and led a march towards Vijay Chowk against the Centre over the Adani Group issue and Rahul Gandhi's disqualification as MP from Lok Sabha.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Monday hit out at the Centre and said that the opposition leaders are wearing black attire to show that democracy is being trampled in the country.

Kharge alleged that the Centre used the probe agencies to bend those who did not bow before the government.

"I thank the opposition leaders for raising their voice against Rahul Gandhi's disqualification. Why are we here in black clothes? We want to show that PM Modi is ending democracy in the country. He first finished autonomous bodies, then they put up their own govt everywhere by threatening those who had won polls. Then they used ED, CBI to use bend those who didn't bow," Kharge said.