LIVE: Modi blasts Oppostion, but mum on Adani, JPC

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday (February 8) spoke in Parliament, replying to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to President Droupadi Murmu’s address in the Lok Sabha when the Budget Session resumes.

“We should not forget that today we have opportunities before us, we are living at a momentous time. The President’s Address is a celebration of 140 crore Indians… One on hand you have a pandemic, on the other a war (Ukraine)… In many countries there is instability, high inflation, shortage of food, even our neighbours are in a crisis but Indians are proud that even in such times we are the world’s 5th largest economy,” said Modi. “The entire world has positive outlook, faith towards India.”

After three days of adjournment of House proceedings over the Adani Group stock market rout following the Hindenburg Research report, there was a heated debate on the President’s speech in the Parliament on Tuesday.

While BJP MPs lauded the Modi government for its many initiatives, the Opposition accused it of ignoring key issues such as inflation and unemployment. Opposition MPs also accused the BJP government of “fearing” to take up the Adani discussion and favouring the Group over the years.

Rahul’s attack

Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, in a 53-minute speech, led a blistering attack on the government over the Hindenburg report. Displaying photographs of Gautam Adani and PM Modi together, Rahul claimed that the meteoric rise in Gautam Adani’s fortunes happened after the BJP came to power in 2014. The business honcho rose in the global rich list from the 609th to the second spot.

To that, BJP MPs created a ruckus, seeking proof of these allegations and seeking their deletion from the House records. Some BJP leaders attacked the Gandhi family instead, calling them “corrupt” and “out on bail” in the National Herald case.

Also read: Privilege motion against Rahul after blistering attack at Modi govt over Adani issue

Among other Opposition leaders, Trinamool Congress’s Mahua Moitra, without taking names, said a famous person whose name starts with “A” and ends with “I” has duped everyone.

In the Rajya Sabha, too, Congress MP Digvijaya Singh asked why the Centre was dragging its feet on forming a joint parliamentary committee to probe the Hindenburg-Adani controversy.

(With agency inputs)

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