Mallikarjun Kharge questions rise of Adani, silence on those behind hate

Some of Kharge’s remarks were later expunged from House records.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was present in the House when Kharge spoke.

Kharge’s allegations against the Adani group and demand for setting up a joint parliamentary committee to look into the matter led to protests by BJP members, and Dhankhar intervened to say that Rajya Sabha was a platform to be only used to say “that which is in national interest”.

Kharge said there was nobody more nationalistic than him: “If I speak the truth, then I am anti-national. I am not anti-national… I am more patriotic than any of you… I am a bhoomiputra (son of the soil). I am mool Bharati.’’

As other Opposition members also protested, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh asked the Chairman to expunge his own remarks.

Bringing up the Hindenburg report and the Adani group, Kharge said, “In two-and-half years, an individual has seen an increase in wealth by 13 times. In 2014, he was worth Rs 50,000 crore. In 2019, he was worth Rs 1 lakh crore. What magic suddenly took place that in two years, it became Rs 12 lakh crore? The Hindenburg report is there, but they do not accept it.”

Dhankhar asked Kharge to “authentic’’ his claims. “I can’t allow anyone to use this platform for freefall of information without authenticating and providing documentation,’’ he said.

Leader of the House Piyush Goyal said Kharge’s claims cannot be substantiated, and have no basis or any relation to the government.

BJP president and MP J P Nadda said Kharge should authenticate his remarks.

Continuing his attack, Kharge said despite the Hindenburg report, the government was not willing to accept the report’s findings.

Dhankhar said, “Just because any report comes from anywhere in the world, can we do anything based on such reports?… You are giving the right to anyone (in the world) to scrutinise our (India’s) institutions.”

Goyal told Kharge that the “head of your party’’ has increased properties by 16 times since 2014.

Kharge hit out at the government’s stance on PSUs, and said the public sector had advanced loans of Rs 82,000 crore to the Adani group.

“You should instead focus on strengthening the PSUs. Whether it’s defence or BSNL or airlines, these public sector entities are job providers. Even in the public sector that is left, there are 30 lakh vacancies out of which 15 lakh are through reservation for SC/ST. Ten per cent are for economically weaker sections. You claim you work for the poor but do not strengthen the PSUs through which they receive employment. Instead the Adani group that was given this Rs 82,000 crore loan only employs 30,000 people,’’ he said.

He said he could not understand why the BBC documentary on the Gujarat riots had been banned. “You have banned the BBC documentary. And yet there are universities that have screened it. There have been reports of harassment and lathi charges. Why should the documentary affect you? You can give your reply (to the documentary). You are a strong party with a large majority… This has become like Pathaan, the Shah Rukh Khan movie. The more you ban, the more people watch,’’ he said.

Continuing his attack on the BJP, he said, “They always talk about Hindu-Muslim. Is that the only issue? What about the Christians? What about the Scheduled Caste? Even today when a Scheduled Caste person tries going to a temple, he is beaten up. We consider SC to be Hindus. Do you not consider SC to be Hindus? Then why isn’t he allowed to enter a temple? Why isn’t he allowed to drink water (from a common source)? Why isn’t he educated? You go to a Dalit’s house, eat there, get pictures taken and then boast that you have eaten in his house. Why? Is he not of the same religion? Other people will not understand the deep hurt I feel about this.”

“You try to intimidate us within the House. Why don’t you intimidate these people (behind the spread of hatred) outside as well? One word from you will silence them,’’ he said amid objections from the treasury benches.