LS adjourned amid protest against BJP MP’s remark linking Cong with Soros

File Photo: IANS


The Lok Sabha was adjourned till December 9 after Opposition members created a ruckus on Friday over BJP lawmaker Nishikant Dubey’s comment “Congress ka haath Soros ke saath”.

Speaking during Zero Hour, the BJP lawmaker from Godda constituency alleged that Congress has links with US-based billionaire investor George Soros. ”Congress is hand in glove with George Soros, did Soros pay for Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra or not? Soros paid for 1,000 Indian children to study abroad, how many of them are children of Congress leaders? My series of asking questions to the Congress party will continue,” he said, adding that he has ten questions to ask Congress.

Following the remarks, Congress members were up on their feet in protest. Samajwadi Party member, Dharmendra Yadav and TMC member Saugata Roy followed suit standing in their places to support the protesting Congress members.

Dubey had raised the issue on Thursday also, accusing the grand old party of colluding and conspiring with foreign forces in bringing the country down and disrupting its growth story. In support of his argument, he cited a report by Mediapart, a French newspaper, claiming to have found during its investigation that the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) has the backing of the US government and some highly influential businessmen, with anti-India interests. “Due to their hatred for the Modi dispensation, they throw their weight behind those conspiring against the government,” he said.

Earlier, the proceedings were adjourned till noon amid the din caused by Opposition members over the issue.

Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla made a fervent appeal to the members for order and cooperation as the proceedings were once again disrupted by Opposition protests. He stressed the importance of maintaining the dignity and decorum of Parliament.

Congress member K C Venugopal alleged that the government was adopting a bulldozing attitude in the house. “We are witnessing a bulldozing attitude of the government to suppress the move of the Opposition. Yesterday, one of the members passed a very derogatory remark against the LoP and another member of the House and the Congress party. Another member passed a derogatory remark outside Parliament. The Congress party has brought a privilege motion against both of the leaders… The member, against whose derogatory remarks we are complaining, he is allowed to do the same thing today… The Speaker is under pressure from the government,” he alleged.

Congress Deputy Leader in the House Gaurav Gogoi accused the government of running away from the debate as it is scared of discussing the Adani issue. Within minutes, the house was adjourned till noon.

Two Bills – The Railways (Amendment) Bill, 2024 and The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 – were listed in the agenda for consideration today.

The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill, 2024 proposes to set up a separate Urban Disaster Management Authority (UDMA) in state capitals and cities with a Municipal Corporation and SDRF.

Meanwhile, Opposition MPs, including Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra held a protest over the Adani issue on the Parliament premises. Opposition MPs wore masks symbolising their protest over the Adani issue with “Modi Adani, Bhai Bhai” written on them. Rahul and Priyanka Gandhi were also seen holding copies of the Constitution in their hand.