Uproar in Parliament over Kharge's Adani remark; ‘Insinuation,' says Sitharaman
Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge referred to Adani's ‘property gain’ in 2.5 years to which the BJP MPs protested. Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said Kharge was insinuating against the PM.
Congress MP Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi why he is silent on those who are spreading hatred in the country. As Kharge used an epithet for PM Modi for his silence in the Rajya Sabha, chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said, "You are a very senior member, sir. This does not suit you. Don't use these juicy expressions." Ruckus erupted in the Upper House following Mallikarjun Kharge's comment.
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"In 2014, PM Modi said na khaunga na khane dunga. The wealth of one…increased by 13 times in 2.5 years. In 2014, it was ₹50,000 crore while in 2019 it became ₹1 lakh crore. I don't know what magic happened that his assets touched ₹12 lakh crore in just two years," Kharge said amid protests from the BJP MPs.
"The discourse can't go to allegations which you can't substantiate. I cannot allow this House to be a platform of freefall of information," the chair said.
BJP MP Piyush Goyal protested Mallikarjun Kharge's statement and said what Kharge alleged can not be substantiated. "He is talking of a purported wealth that does not have any merit. That is a share market calculation. The government has no role in that," Goyal said. "I urge him to learn from the former finance minister what is this valuation," Goyal added.
Finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman said it is very smart to say on part of the Congress that they will give data. "But it is completely infused with insinuation against the honourable Prime Minister and that is what we are objecting to. They are subtly and overtly insinuating against the PM," Sitharaman said on the Adani issue.
"One farmer in Gujarat was denied a no-objection certificate because of a due of 31 paise. But crores of the dues are cleared," Kharge said to which the Chair said it has to be authenticated.
As the uproar continued, Kharge said, "You are now calling me an anti-national? I am more patriotic than anyone else. I am a bhoomiputra. I am not from Afghanistan."