INDIA Bloc Falling Apart? After Rift With AAP, Congress Now Gets 'Ethics Advice' From SP

The opposition bloc in India is facing internal conflict, particularly in UP. The Samajwadi Party has accused the Congress of violating Parliament ethics by staging protests on the Adani issue.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi with Congress MPs Manickam Tagore and Saptagiri Sankar Ulaka, wearing face masks of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani during a protest on Parliament premises.

Source : PTI

The thin thread holding the "united" Opposition from, the INDIA bloc, seems to be fraying in Uttar Pradesh. After the rift between INDIA partners AAP and the Congress in Delhi came out in the open earlier, two of the biggest parties in the Lok Sabha seem to be at loggerheads now. The Samajwadi Party is now accusing the Congress and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi of violating the ethics of Parliament.

The SP's 'ethics advice' comes amid speculation over whether Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee should lead the Opposition alliance. 

"Activists often do such things. This does not suit a politician on the Parliament premises. Rahul Gandhi is the Leader of the Opposition; he should keep his dignity in mind. Issues like inflation, unemployment, and MSP for farmers should be raised seriously in the Parliament," said SP Lok Sabha member IP Singh.

Notably, the Congress and the Akhilesh Yadav-led SP are the two biggest Opposition parties in Lok Sabha, with 99 and 37 seats respectively. 

अक्सर Activist ऐसी हरकतें करते रहते हैं।

सच है कि राजनेता को संसद परिसर में यह सब शोभा नहीं देता।

श्री राहुल गांधी नेता विपक्ष हैं उसकी गरिमा का सदैव ध्यान रखना चाहिए।

कमरतोड़ मंहगाई, बेरोजगारी, किसानों को MSP जैसे मुद्दे गम्भीरता के साथ संसद में उठने चाहिए। https://t.co/jYmBUO7a4W

— I.P. Singh (@IPSinghSp) December 12, 2024

Singh was referring to the Congress's protests using masks of Gautam Adani and PM Narendra Modi on the Parliament campus. Congress MPs also carried placards that read "Desh bikne nahi denge [won't let the country be sold]" while raising slogans of "We want JPC [Joint Parliamentary Committee]". The Opposition has been demanding a JPC probe into the allegations of bribery against industrialist Gautam Adani and other Adani group officials.

The issue has disrupted the working of the Parliament repeatedly since the beginning of the Winter Session. Opposition MPs in both Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha have been demanding the suspension of business to discuss the issue, which they said was of "national importance".