AAP, BRS, Sena break ranks with Opposition, boycott Parliament over Adani issue

AAP, BRS and Shiv Sena on Tuesday broke ranks with other Opposition parties, as both could not find common ground on the mode of discussion on the Adani Group issue in Parliament with the majority deciding to join the debate on Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address in Parliament and utilise it to target the BJP government.

The three parties announced the boycott of the debate as Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar went ahead with starting the debate, accusing the government of not discussing the issue and announcing a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the allegations of stock manipulation and fraud by Adani Group in which LIC and SBI have financial exposure.

The fault lines were exposed at a meeting of Opposition parties in the morning where AAP leader Sanjay Singh made it clear that his party was not in agreement with others, who were pushing for the start of the debate during which they intended to corner the Modi government on the Adani Group issue.

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BRS, whose leaders arrived for the meeting ended, also said it was not in agreement with the decision of 14 other parties, including Congress, DMK, CPI(M), RSP, SP, RJD and JD(U), and said they would continue their protest, as they stood isolated in the Opposition camp.

AAP, Sena and BRS leaders said it was sort of a compromise if they went ahead with participating in the debate as the Adani issue could not be clubbed with the Motion of Thanks. When the government is not willing to set up a JPC probe, BRS leader K Keshava Rao said, it was not fair to go back on their demand for an immediate discussion.

However, sources said, the meeting decided that the parties should vociferously raise the issue in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha and force adjournment in the morning session. While no business could be done in Rajya Sabha, the Lok Sabha was adjourned for one hour till 12 noon when the Motion of Thanks debate was initiated.

“Most Opposition parties have decided to participate in Parliamentary proceedings from today and continue to raise their demand for a JPC into the PM-linked ‘Adani Maha Mega Scam’,” Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said.

A top Congress leader told DH that the Opposition did not want to fall into the trap of the government, which doesn't want a discussion at all and raise the Adani Group issue. "The House is adjourned in minutes. Have you seen it before?" the leader said.

Trinamool Congress, which also skipped the meeting, was also in favour of participating in the debate.

Parliament has been stalled by the Opposition over the financial exposure of SBI and LIC in Adani Group, which is facing allegations of stock manipulation and fraud.

There was broad agreement in the Opposition earlier that they should allow the start of debate on the Motion of Thanks on Monday but pressure by AAP, BRS, SP and RJD led to one more day of disruption on Monday.