BJP intensifies attack over Cong links to Soros, Oppn hits back

NEW DELHI: The government and the Opposition traded barbs involving five-letter words on Monday, both names of billionaire businessmen either side sought to link to the top leader of the other side of the Lok Sabha.

- Smriti Kak Ramachandran and Saubhadra Chatterji

Thus, while the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday upped the ante in its allegations of links between the Congress and the "anti-India" George Soros Foundation, the Congress-led Opposition continued its ongoing tirade against the Adani Group, triggering fresh disruptions that put a question mark on the remaining two weeks of the winter session.

Demanding a debate on the "issue of national security" in Parliament, BJP leaders raised allegations linked to US billionaire George Soros in both Houses, leading to a logjam that resulted in adjournments. The BJP accused former Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi of working with the United States' "deep state", a charge that was refuted by the US government and threatens to escalate into a diplomatic row.

On a day marred by protests and confrontation between the government and the Opposition, the Congress and other INDIA bloc parties also indicated that they are planning to push a motion under Article 67 of the Constitution—it deals with the removal of the Vice President—in the Rajya Sabha, describing a move that is unlikely to succeed but whose political aim would be to challenge the BJP.

A senior Congress leader said that all Opposition parties have in principle agreed to bring a motion under Article 67 but no timeline has been fixed for the same. To be sure, the Opposition has hinted at doing this in previous sessions, but refrained from following through.

BJP lawmaker Nishikant Dubey, who first leveled allegations linked to Soros last week, told HT that he wanted a joint parliamentary committee to probe how the Gandhi family and the Congress' agenda was dictated by Soros and other anti-India elements. "I am demanding a JPC to look into these issues. I have documentary evidence to prove my claims..."