New Delhi:

Sending a clear message that it is not with the main opposition Congress in disrupting Parliament over the Adani indictment issue, Trinamool Congress today skipped the meeting of INDIA bloc leaders at Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge’s chamber today.

Sources in the Trinamool Congress said it wants to raise multiple issues in Parliament, including price rise, unemployment, funds crunch and the Manipur unrest. “But Congress only wants to press for the Adani issue. So, Trinamool has not attended the INDIA floor leaders’ meeting today.”

The Trinamool source also said it is the only party in the INDIA bloc that is not an electoral partner of the Congress. “So there is a sentiment in the party that we are not bound to attend the INDIA bloc when our top points are not on the agenda.” 

The Congress has been demanding that all business in the House be suspended for a discussion on the US Department of Justice indictment against directors of Adani Green. This morning too, Congress MP Manickam Tagore gave an Adjournment Motion notice in Lok Sabha to discuss the Adani issue. However, MPs of multiple parties, including the Congress, have sought discussions on various pressing issues such as the damage due to Cyclone Fengal, the violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal over a mosque’s survey, the targeting of ISKCON monks in Bangladesh and delay in procurement of paddy in Punjab.

The Adani Group has maintained that Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, and senior executive Vneet Jaain are clear of bribery charges. Gautam Adani has said this is not a challenge the group has faced for the first time and stressed that “every attack makes us stronger”.

Chaos and repeated adjournments have blocked Parliamentary proceedings for several days now. The session ends on December 20.

Earlier, Trinamool general secretary and the party’s Number 2 leader Abhishek Banerjee had made it clear that Trinamool would prioritise issues of Bengal during the Winter Session. “Our stand is very clear. We will give priority to the issues of Bengal first. The Centre has blocked Bengal’s dues. We want discussions in Parliament on these issues. Go and ask Congress. I have said we will prioritise Bengal’s issues. What’s their stand?”

Earlier, senior Trinamool MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar said the party does not want the Parliament to be disrupted. “We want Parliament to run. We don’t want to disrupt the House on just one issue. We will hold this government accountable on multiple counts,” she said.

The Trinamool had earlier said that it would raise the ongoing unrest in Manipur during the Winter Session of Parliament and seek urgent actions by the Centre to bring peace to the Northeast state.

(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)