With just nine days remaining before the Winter Session draws to a close, there has not been a single day where both Houses of Parliament have functioned fully.
Two billionaires – Gautam Adani and George Soros – are responsible for the washout of the Houses or are they? While the Congress is hell-bent on a discussion revolving around Adani’s indictment by the US court over bribery charges, the BJP has been accusing Congress leaders of links to an organisation of billionaire George Soros, branded an ‘Agent of Chaos’ for allegedly funding regime changes.
On Wednesday, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned yet again as protests erupted from both the treasury and opposition benches over slogans linking “Sonia-Soros” and “Adani-Modi.”
Parliament continues to witness repeated disruptions, with the BJP accusing the Congress of ties to George Soros, while the opposition claims the BJP is protecting the Adani group. The non-functioning of the Parliament is a form of punishment for the taxpayers as almost, Rs 2.5 lakh of our money is being swallowed every minute of the Session to work, reported India Today.
However, the Congress-BJP spat has left other parties, especially the INDIA bloc irritated. Some like the Samajwadi Party and Trinamool Congress have started disassociating themselves from the Adani-Soros discussion.
“We are neither with the Soros issue nor with the Adani issue. We believe that the House should run. We hope that the people of both sides will show dedication towards the functioning of the House,” Samajwadi Party MP Dimple Yadav said.
According to Trinamool MP Kalyan Banerjee, the two giant parties have hijacked the proceedings of both the Houses. “They decide how long it will function. This is not correct…the BJP and Congress get more opportunities to speak. We don’t get the opportunity to speak. Other political parties are suffering,” said TMC’s Kalyan.
Since the first Lok Sabha, held between 1953 and 1957, there were 135 annual sittings. In comparison, the 17th Lok Sabha (2019–2024) averaged 55 sittings per year – a decline of 59.26 percent, more than half.
When asked about the Parliament proceedings and consecutive adjournments since November 25, the Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi seems adamant over a discussion on the Adani issue.
“Our aim is that the House must run, and a discussion should happen in the House. Let them say whatever they want against me, we want the Constitution debate,” he told reporters outside Parliament.
The Congress party has expressed its willingness to engage in the legislative agenda for the ongoing Winter Session.
“We are going to the Speaker (Om Birla) and pleading to run the House,” said Congress MP KC Venugopal on Wednesday, holding a Tiranga and rose flowers.
The “rose and Tiranga” protest is the latest in a series of opposition actions targeting the government. On Tuesday, Congress MPs staged a protest carrying ‘Adani-Modi’ bags, while on Monday, they impersonated the Prime Minister and a billionaire, with Rahul Gandhi conducting a mock interview.
Earlier in the week, Congress MPs wore t-shirts with caricatures to demand an investigation into alleged Adani bribery charges in the US.
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