Govt afraid of JPC probe in Adani matter: Kharge

As the Lok Sabha was adjourned sine die on Thursday amid protests by the opposition members over Adani-Hindenburg issue, leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge said that the government is scared of a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe in the matter.

"They have a majority in Parliament and despite this the government is afraid of holding a JPC as this would give opposition parties an opportunity to go through all documents related to Adani matter," Kharge said in a press conference conducted by 19 opposition parties after the Lower House was adjourned sine die.

He said that it was for the first time in the history of Indian democracy that the government did not allow Parliament to function during the budget session.

"Government does not have any answer to the questions we posed before them related to (Gautam) Adani`s relations with the prime minister and how many times has he accompanied the prime minister on foreign tours. To divert attention from this, the government sought Rahul Gandhi`s apology for his comments made in London and disrupted proceedings," Kharge added.

He further said that the government moved with lightening speed to get Rahul Gandhi disqualified from Lok Sabha over his conviction in a defamation case, even though a Gujarat MP was not disqualified despite being convicted for three-years in a criminal case.

Kharge added that Rahul Gandhi had posed questions before the prime minister related to Adani Enterprises, and he got disqualified.

The BJP sought Gandhi`s apology in Rajya Sabha, even though he is not a member of that House, Kharge said, wondering how the Congress leader could apologise in Parliament when he had been disqualified.

The Rajya Sabha leader said that despite Rahul`s disqualification, the Congress and other opposition parties will continue to fight and oppose the government.

Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the senior Congress leader said that he never attends Parliament and goes away on tours during Parliament sessions, rather than participate in discussions related to socio-economic issues.

"The prime minister only believes in publicity and goes to inaugurate each and every train," Kharge said.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh alleged that the Prime Minister has proven that he is not the nation`s Prime Minister but "Adani`s prime minister".

"He didn`t allow Parliament to run on this issue. Why did he run away from a JPC probe?" Singh sought to know.

DMK leader T.R. Baalu said that the entire opposition is united against the government.

Bharath Rashtra Samithi leader K. Keshava Rao, RJD`s Manoj Jha, Samajwadi Party`s S.T. Hasan, RSP leader N.K. Premachandran were among the opposition leaders who were present in the press conference.

Representatives from the NCP, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray group) and Trinamool Congress were also present on the occasion.

Earlier, after the Lower House was adjourned sine die, the opposition leaders took out a `Tricolour March` from Parliament House up to Vijay Chowk.

Party leaders from like-minded opposition parties like the DMK, Samajwadi Party, RJD, Shiv Sena (UBT), AAP and NCP participated in the march.

Opposition leaders also boycotted the customary evening tea hosted by Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla after the House was adjourned, sources said.