New Delhi, Dec 9: Rajya Sabha proceedings were disrupted several times on Monday as the treasury benches accused top Congress leaders of colluding with billionaire investor George Soros to destabilise the country, triggering protests from opposition members.
The Upper House failed to transact any business as it saw three adjournments, including two during the pre-lunch session. It was finally adjourned for the day amid noisy protests from both sides.
Soon after the House assembled for the day, members of treasury benches were on their feet, raising slogans and demanding answers from the Congress over reports of alleged links of some of its top leaders with Soros, who they accused of conspiring to destabilise the country and its economy.
On the other hand, opposition members claimed this was the ruling party’s way of diverting attention from the Adani issue and continued to press for a discussion on it.
Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar held a meeting with leaders of both sides and said its purpose was to ensure that the House runs smoothly.
“Integrity and sovereignty of the nation are sacred for us. We cannot allow any forces within the country or outside to sacrilege our unity, our integrity and our sovereignty,” Dhankhar said, urging leaders to meet in his chamber again at 10:30 am on Tuesday.
“Any challenge to the unity and integrity of the nation from within or outside requires all of us to offer a united challenge … It is a challenge to our very existence. We as a nation are committed to fighting the sinister forces, the forces that are inimical to India… a deep state that is evolving is required to be neutralised by all of us,” he said.
Such evil designs cannot be overlooked, he said.
“The functioning of deep state affects us more perniciously than the Covid disease,” he said before adjourning the House for the day.
After a brief first adjournment during Zero Hour, Leader of the House J P Nadda said BJP members were agitated over an issue that involved Congress leaders and wanted a discussion. He repeated his charges soon after the House met after lunch.
“The link between Forum of Democratic Leaders in the Asia-Pacific (FDL-AP) and George Soros is a matter of concern. Its co-president is a member of this House,” he said.
Nadda alleged the FDL-AP sees Jammu and Kashmir as a “separate entity” and gets financial support from the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.
“This maligns India’s image and raises concern about national security,” he said, claiming that people are concerned about the manner in which the Congress is siding with such forces.
“The Congress is becoming a tool… Therefore, there should be a detailed discussion… This is a matter of internal and external security,” he said.
As Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar sought to know why the ruling party members were protesting, many BJP MPs alleged that the top Congress leadership has links with Soros. They demanded that the issue be discussed in the House as it is connected to national security.
Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Mallikarjun Kharge and other Congress leaders like Jairam Ramesh and Pramod Tiwari asked how the chairman was allowing the ruling party members to raise the issue when he had rejected their notices in this regard.
“It is wrong to raise the issue like this and damage the image of a member, who is not in the House,” Kharge said, adding that rules don’t permit a member to raise an issue against another member and especially after notices have been rejected.
“We did not expect this from you,” Congress’ Digvijaya Singh told the Chair.
Tiwari alleged ruling party MPs were siding with Adani and disturbing the House for him.
“The BJP is doing all this to protect Adani,” he said.
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said if the LoP was referring to another member, it becomes clear that the reports of involvement of a member are true, as the ruling party has not named anyone.
BJP’s Radha Mohan Das Aggarwal said party MPs have not named any party and will speak during the discussion on how Congress leaders are colluding with elements of “deep state” and Soros to destabilise the country and break it into pieces.
“We want a discussion on this serious issue as they want to create instability in the country. These anti-nationals should be exposed before the country. Terror and anti-national activities are being carried out in the country at the behest of such forces and they should be exposed,” he said.
On the BJP’s allegations about former Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s links to an organisation financed by Soros, party MP Ghanshyam Tiwari said it is very bad for the country and its unity.
“We want that there should be a discussion on the matter as it is linked to the issue of national security,” he said.
The BJP on Sunday claimed that Sonia Gandhi, as the co-president of the Forum of the Democratic Leaders in Asia Pacific (FDL-AP) Foundation, is linked to an organisation financed by the George Soros Foundation.
The FDL-AP has backed the idea of Kashmir as an independent nation, it claimed.
Brij Lal of the BJP alleged Rahul Gandhi’s trips abroad are funded by Soros.
“When Rahul Gandhi travels abroad, George Soros funds him and there is an anti-India campaign. We want a discussion on the relationship between George Soros and Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi,” he said.
Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya of the CPI(M) said if the treasury benches raise the issue, “then it is their failure”.
“Why can’t the prime minister come and make a statement… This is an accusation to protect (hide) their failure. Total disruption to protect their failure,” he said.
John Brittas of the CPI (M) said, “Let there be a discussion on George Soros and Adani together on the floor of the House.”
CPI’s Sandosh Kumar P said, “This is a calculated move to save Adani, to divert attention.”
Amid the din, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said the House was not in order and adjourned it till 3 pm.
Earlier, BJP’s Laxmikant Bajpayee was given the floor to raise his Zero Hour mention and he started speaking on the issue of national security.
Congress’ Jairam Ramesh objected to his remarks, saying when the Chair has rejected notices under Rule 267, then the issues mentioned therein should not be allowed to be raised.
“This is most unfair. You have rejected the notice, all notices… He is raising an issue which you have rejected. And it is very clear, this is all part of a game plan to raise this issue and have this entire House adjourned. Sir, please don’t be a party to this,” Ramesh said.
Earlier, Dhankhar said he has rejected all 11 notices received under Rule 267 seeking to set aside business of the day to take up the issue being raised in the notices.
Five MPs of the BJP and its allies — BJP’s Sudhanshu Trivedi, Kavita Patidar and Laxmikant Bajpai, G K Vasan of Tamil Maanila Congress, and JDU’s Sanjay Kumar Jha — gave notices under Rule 267.
