A red rose and the national flag – Congress MP Rahul Gandhi‘s unusual ‘gift’ to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Wednesday amid a fierce battle between the opposition and the BJP in this Parliament session, which remains deadlocked after disruptions over a number of issues, including the latter’s allegations of collusion, to defame India, between Sonia Gandhi and businessman George Soros.
Also, in a historic first in this session, the opposition and BJP have clashed over a no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Chair Jagdeep Dhankhar, whom the former has accused of partisan stewardship. The motion was tabled this morning, triggering more protests and another adjournment.
A video shared by news agency ANI showed Mr Singh walking from his car to the steps of the Parliament building. He ignores one Congress MP trying to give him the rose and flag, but then Mr Gandhi steps in and, with a smile, offers them to the Defence Minister, who accepts it.
And it wasn’t just Mr Gandhi with the ‘gift’; several party colleagues, including Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, and MPs from allied parties, like the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and Tamil Nadu’s ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, waited outside Parliament for BJP lawmakers with roses and flags.
#WATCH | Delhi | In a unique protest in Parliament premises, Congress MP and LoP Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi gives a Rose flower and Tiranga to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh pic.twitter.com/9GlGIvh3Yz
— ANI (@ANI) December 11, 2024
Opposition MPs said they were presenting the ‘gift’ to urge the BJP to ensure the House functions and that all issues, including the United States’ indictment against Adani Green Energy, which the company has firmly refuted, are discussed. Many also carried placards saying, “Don’t let the country be sold’.
The Adani Group has maintained that billionaire and group head Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, and senior executive Vineet Jain are clear of bribery charges. In response to the charges Mr Adani said his group often faced challenges and that “every attack makes us stronger”.
The rose + flag gift comes a day after opposition MPs carried shoulder bags, or ‘jholas‘, adorned with caricatures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Mr Adani, after the government refused any debate.
Meanwhile, the no-confidence motion is likely to fail, given it does not come with a 14-day advance notice, as set out by Article 67(B) of the Constitution, which it invokes. Even if it is allowed, it will still fail, since the opposition lacks the numbers to force Mr Dhankhar’s removal as the Chair.
NDTV Explains | No-Trust Vote Against Rajya Sabha Chair, And The Numbers
The motion was called for after the opposition protested over the Chair allowing BJP MPs to make comments about Congress leader Sonia Gandhi and alleged links to George Soros.
The BJP has claimed these links are harming national security and demanded a debate. The Congress firmly refuted the links and counterattacked by insisting there be a discussion on the Adani issue.
READ | “Ridiculous, BJP Scared”: PGV On Sonia Gandhi-George Soros Links
For the Congress, Ms Gandhi Vadra said, “It (the Soros-Sonia Gandhi links) is the most ridiculous thing … They are doing this because they don’t want to discuss the Adani issue…”
With input from agencies
NDTV is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from NDTV on your chat.
(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)
