Opposition questions BJP: Is 'Adani' parliamentary or unparliamentary?
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In a heated session on Tuesday, December 3, members of the opposition Congress in the Rajya Sabha sought clarity on whether mentioning businessman Gautam Adani during a debate on the Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak, 2024 Bill was 'parliamentary or unparliamentary'. The row was sparked after treasury benches raised objections to references made to Adani during the discussion on the bill, according to The Wire report.
The bill, introduced by Union Minister for Civil Aviation, Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, aims to replace the 90-year-old Aircraft Act. It had already been passed by the Lok Sabha in August and was up for discussion and passage in the Rajya Sabha.
During the debate, Congress MP Syed Naseer Hussain drew attention to the involvement of the Adani Group in the management of several major airports in India. He claimed that the NITI Aayog and the Finance Ministry had raised objections during the bidding process for six airports awarded to Adani Group, suggesting that the airports should have been renamed the "Adani Airport Authority of India."
Hussain questioned the technical capacity of Adani Group to handle such infrastructure and raised concerns about the government's favouritism towards the group. He further alleged that the common man was being "looted" with increased landing and user development fees at airports controlled by Adani.
In his remarks, Hussain also referred to the alleged bribery accusations against the Adani Group in the United States and stock market manipulation claims made by the Hindenburg report. However, his comments sparked protests from the Treasury benches. Rajya Sabha MP Sasmit Patra, who was presiding over the House, interrupted Hussain’s speech, advising him to stay focused on the legislative content and avoid unrelated references.
The debate took a turn to the tense when BJP MP Laxmikant Vajpayee raised a point of order under Rule 110, demanding that Hussain's remarks be expunged from the record. In response, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari argued that discussing the key players in the aviation industry, including operators like Adani, was necessary for the debate on the bill. Tiwari questioned whether it was "unparliamentary" to mention the name of a prominent business figure who had a direct stake in the aviation sector.
Despite the opposition's protests, Patra ruled that any references unrelated to the bill would not be recorded in the official proceedings. Hussain, however, continued to defend his statements, asserting that he had not used any unparliamentary language and questioning why his remarks were being deemed inappropriate.
Earlier in the day, opposition MPs staged a protest outside the Makar Dwar, demanding a probe into the bribery allegations against Adani. The protest, which saw opposition members holding placards and banners that read "Modi and Adani are one," was boycotted by members of the Samajwadi Party and the Trinamool Congress (TMC).
