By G Krishna Mohan Rao*
New Delhi: Today’s development of Delhi Police knocking on Rahul Gandhi’s doors for data on sexual harassment victims resulted in a huge reaction in the Congress Party which condemned Delhi police action as a “political vendetta”.
A Special Commissioner of Delhi Police today landed at Rahul Gandhi’s residence to seek more information about the girl victims that Rahul had mentioned in his speech. The police sought details from Rahul, who during his Bharat Jodo Yatra, said that ‘ women are still being sexually assaulted and he had proof in this regard.
The Delhi Police had earlier served notice to him for details. It had sought details of those victims so that action can be taken against the perpetrators. While condemning the visit of the Delhi Police, the Congress Party described it as a provocation by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government to embarrass the Opposition when the Parliament is in session.
So, with the session being resumed tomorrow, after the weekend, the latest Delhi Police issue is expected to further aggravate the situation in Parliament. Hence, it appears that the logjam of the present ongoing second part of the Budget Session is unlikely to be resolved as there are no signs of consensus with both the government and the Opposition sticking to their stated stands. The government is demanding an apology from the Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi for his remarks in London on Indian democracy, while the Opposition also made it clear that the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) is the only answer to the Adani-Hindenburg row. Parliament witnessed the entire last week get washed out due to the ruckus created by both the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress-led Opposition.
The Congress Party’s chief spokesman Jairam Ramesh already observed that his party did not see a “ middle path” to end the Parliament logjam since their demand for a JPC was “non-negotiable” and the question of an apology over Rahul’s remarks in London does not arise. Jairam said that the ruling BJP is rattled by 16 parties demanding a JPC probe into the Adani issue and is resorting to a “3D orchestrated campaign — distort, defame and divert”.
On the other, the BJP members are equally adamant and firm on their stand of apology and also demanding that Rahul Gandhi be terminated from the Lok Sabha membership. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi, at a function last night lashed out at the Congress. Without taking Rahul’s name, he said that some people are unable to digest recent all-around progress and are trying to discredit India’s success story as a democracy. Even the BJP president JP Nadda accused Rahul Gandhi of overstepping all bounds of democracy and said he should be sent packing “lock stock and barrel” in a democratic manner.
The Congress is claiming that the BJP is “misrepresenting” his remarks to divert attention from the Adani issue. Some of the Opposition parties are suggesting that Rahul should be given an opportunity to speak in the House since democracy is about letting people speak. In fact, Rahul himself said yesterday that he should get a chance to speak in Parliament.
Further, the Congress-led Opposition totally rejected the suggestion of Home Minister Amit Shah that anyone who has evidence of wrongdoing in the matter related to the Adani row is free to submit it to the Supreme Court-appointed probe committee on fraudulent transactions and share-price manipulation. Referring to Amit Shah’s remarks Jairam Ramesh said that the mandate of the Supreme Court-appointed committee is to provide an overall assessment of the situation.
The Gautam Adani-led Adani Group has dismissed the charges made by American short seller Hindenburg as lies, saying it complies with all laws and disclosure requirements.
The Opposition maintains that the Supreme Court-appointed expert committee has no formal jurisdiction over investigations by SEBI and any other investigative agency and it lacks the power to enforce the summons, compel the production of evidence or cross-examine witnesses and statements before it. That the committee does not have the same force in terms of evidentiary value as a court of law. So, clearly, the expert committee’s mandate excludes the main charge, the Opposition says.
The entire Opposition is meeting here tomorrow at the office of the Leader of the Opposition and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in Parliament House to take stock of the situation and further chalk out its strategy to be adopted on the floor of the Parliament. If sources are to be believed, the Parliament is going witness pandemonium and could be adjourned for the day.
*Senior Journalist
