Govt running away from answering over Adani issue, says Jairam Ramesh

In a tweet, Jairam Ramesh wrote, "For the third consecutive day, the opposition in Parliament was not allowed to raise the demand of JPC regarding the Adani scam. Both the houses were adjourned till 2.00 pm. It is clear that the Modi government is running away."

Both houses of the Parliament were on Monday adjourned amid heavy sloganeering by Opposition MPs demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani issue.

Meanwhile, Congress has launched a countrywide protest in front of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) offices and State Bank of India (SBI) branches today to protest over the issue.

Earlier in the day, Opposition MPs gathered at the Gandhi statue on the Parliament premises, to stage a protest. Discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address was scheduled to be held in both houses today.

This comes after the Budget Session was adjourned for two days till today after repeated disruptions following ruckus inside the Parliament with the Opposition demanding a debate on the US short-seller Hindenburg Research's report against the Adani Group and a probe by a JPC.

Notably, the Opposition parties including Congress, DMK, NCP, BRS, JD(U), SP, CPM, CPI, Kerala Congress (Jose Mani), JMM, RLD, RSP, AAP, IUML, RJD and Shiv Sena also constituted a meeting in LoP Mallikarjun Kharge's chamber in Parliament to chalk out a strategy on Adani-Hindenburg and other issues.

Congress President and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge said that the opposition will raise the Adani row in the Parliament as the government especially Prime Minister Narendra Modi is silent on the issue.

"We will raise Adani issue in Parliament. Government is silent on such a big issue, especially PM Modi," Kharge said.

Congress Lok Sabha MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Monday said that the Opposition will make a strategy for Parliament over the Adani row.

Speaking to reporters here, the Minister said, "We will have a meeting now. The entire Opposition will come together; the discussion will be done and a decision will be made. It's not an issue of Congress only, but that of India's common people."

The opposition parties have sought discussion over investment by LIC, Public Sector Banks, and financial institutions "in companies losing market value, endangering the savings of crores of Indians" following a report by the US firm Hindenburg Research.

A January 24 report by Hindenburg Research alleged that the Adani Group had weak business fundamentals, and was involved in stock manipulation and accounting fraud, among others. The report triggered a sell-off of shares of Adani Group companies.

The first half of the Budget session will continue till February 13 and the second half will be held from March 13 to April 6. The budget session began with the address by President Droupadi Murmu to the joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament. Union Budget was presented on February 1. (ANI)