Rahul Gandhi’s counter: Whether I will be allowed to speak or shut up is test of democracy

“If the Indian democracy was functioning, I would be able to say my piece in Parliament. So actually what you are seeing is a test of Indian democracy. After four leaders of the BJP have made an allegation about a Member of Parliament, is that Member of Parliament going to be given the same space that those four ministers have been given or is he going to be told to shut up? That’s the real question that is in front of this country right now,” he said.

Leaders of several Opposition parties also formed a human chain inside Parliament House complex, demanding the constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the allegations against the Adani Group.

Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and MPs from several parties including the DMK, NCP, SP, RJD, BRS, CPM, CPI, AAP formed the chain in a show of unity.

However, cracks in the Opposition camp surfaced soon after Rahul’s statement to the media, with the Trinamool Congress distancing itself from the demand to set up a JPC, saying the party was in favour of a Supreme Court-monitored probe instead.

The TMC also hit out at the Congress saying it will not join hands with a “party which attacks our leadership on a daily basis”.

“The Congress party needs to make up its mind. You will be friends with the Left in Tripura, in West Bengal and that’s your choice. In Meghalaya, before the election, you will level allegations on how bad the TMC is. The leader of the largest party in the Lok Sabha will make wild charges… The TMC is very clear that you cannot have separate rules,” TMC Rajya Sabha leader Derek O’Brien said.

Even as it takes on the Adani Group, with the party on Thursday proposing that non-BJP governments should launch their own investigations into the affairs of the conglomerate, the TMC has stayed away from the larger Opposition bloc on the matter. TMC and the NCP were not signatories to the letter to the Enforcement Directorate demanding a probe against the Adani Group.

O’Brien said, “We want a Supreme Court-monitored inquiry. There are other parties, and we respect the opinion of those who want a JPC. All Opposition parties are on the same page that we want an inquiry. The Trinamool Congress took a call demanding a probe monitored by the SC since we felt that a JPC will amount to putting the issue under the carpet. The JPC chairperson will be a member of the BJP which will have maximum members in the committee.”

In his briefing, Rahul Gandhi did not respond to the allegations made by the BJP that he “insulted India” on foreign soil, saying he was “hopeful” that he will be allowed to speak in the House on Friday.

On his meeting with Birla, Rahul said the Speaker was “non-committal” and “in his way he smiled”.

The Trinamool leadership said that while the Speaker has not made any efforts to break the logjam over the past four days, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has been meeting leaders of the parties “informally”.

“The RS chairman has been calling individual parties for informal meetings. Yesterday, the Congress went. When the Chairman of the House or the Speaker calls you for an informal meeting, parliamentary tradition says you go. So I went this morning to listen to his views, the Parliamentary Affairs Minister was there,” O’Brien said.

He said he feels that the impasse will continue as “this suits a government which does not want to be accountable to the people… The BJP under Modi and Shah are turning Parliament into a deep dark chamber.”

Rahul said the attacks against him are being made to “distract” from the “fundamental question that is what is the relationship between the PM and Mr Adani and his companies”.

“The story started the day I gave my speech in Parliament against Mr Adani and I asked some fundamental questions to the PM about his relationship with the businessman. The whole idea is that these relevant questions must not be on the table and that is why this whole exercise of four or five ministers and the PM giving a speech to distract…” he said.

While maintaining that he would dive into the details of his allegations if given a chance to speak in the House, Rahul appeared to offer some glimpses of his possible line of retaliation, which includes reiteration of some allegations he had made while participating in the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address in February.

“There are some fundamental questions. About how Mr Adani has been given pretty much the entire India-Israel defence relationship. How he is being given the Mumbai airport, other airports, how rules had to be changed to allow him these things. What happened in Australia between the Indian PM, Adani and the chairman of the SBI and one of the chief ministers of the states in Australia. That’s a picture that is visible to everybody. Why is the PM of India sitting with a SBI chairman and Mr Adani and an Australian leader? What is he discussing and why after that discussion is almost a billion dollars pledged by the SBI to Mr Adani,” he said.

“What was said in Sri Lanka? A person had made a statement saying that Mr Rajapasksa told him that Mr Adani was given the contract and it was basically Mr Modi who told him. The same in Bangladesh. So these are relevant questions. What is the relationship between the PM and Mr Adani and his companies, and more importantly is in these shell companies? Who is this unknown person whose money is in these shell companies?” he said.