Opposition like-minded parties hold meeting in Parliament to chalk out strategy

New Delhi [India], February 2 : Opposition like-minded parties held a meeting in Parliament to chalk out the strategy for the floor of the House on Thursday.
A number of Opposition leaders have given a suspension of business notices to both Houses of Parliament demanding a discussion on the Hindenburg report against Adani Enterprises.
The leaders who gave the notice in their respective Houses include CPI(M) leader in Rajya Sabha MP Elamaram Kareem, Shiv Sena MP (Uddhav Thackeray faction) Priyanka Chaturvedi, CPI Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam, Bharat Rashtra Samithi Lok Sabha MP Nama Nageswara Rao, BRS Rajya Sabha MP K Keshava Rao, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh among others.
Earlier today, Communist Party of India MP Binoy Viswam gave a suspension of business notice to the Rajya Sabha Chairman demanding a discussion on the Adani stock crash, terming the matter as "urgent".
Serving the notice under Rule 267, the CPI MP said that money belonging to the people of the country is at risk of "being wiped out" due to the crisis currently unfolding with the Adani group.
"Huge public money belonging to the common people of India is at serious risk of being wiped out in the crisis that is currently unfolding with the Adani group of companies. It is deeply concerning that the Life Insurance Corporation of India (L1C), in which the people of India repose immense trust through their hard-earned money, has a total holding to the tune of Rs 35,917.31 crore as on December 31, 2022, under the Adani group of companies," the MP said.
Claiming that around 40 per cent of the loans to the Adani group have been provided by the country's largest public sector bank, State Bank of India (SBI), Viswam said that the matter is of "urgent importance" citing the huge amount of public money involved.
"As these institutions are vital for the functioning of the economy, the country as a whole is apprehensive. This is a matter of urgent importance bearing in mind the huge amount of public money involved and the credibility of India's financial management system being at stake," he said.
"In light of these revelations, the business of the house must be suspended, and this issue be taken up for discussion," the MP added.
Meanwhile, Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani, who stood at the 10th spot on the Forbes Real-time billionaire list for 2023 after being overtaken by Reliance Industries Chairman Mukesh Ambani on Wednesday, further slipped and came to the 15th spot on the list later in the day.
This comes following a report by US short-seller Hindenburg Research on the Adani Group alleging a decades-long fraud scheme, "brazen accounting fraud, stock manipulation and money laundering.
Speaking to ANI, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi said, "We have to run the House smoothly. A good budget has been presented under the guidance of PM Modi. If they have constructive suggestions about the President's Address, they should give. I urge them to run the House smoothly and put forth their arguments."
The first part of the session will conclude on February 13. Parliament will reconvene on March 12 for the second part of the Budget Session, which will conclude on April 6.