PM Modi holds meeting with Union Ministers to discuss govt strategy

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Union Ministers in Parliament on Thursday to discuss government strategy.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Sports Minister Anurag Thakur, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi, Commerce & Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Road Transport & Highways Minister Nitin Gadkari, and Law Minister Kiren Rijiju were among those present at the meeting. The Opposition’s like-minded parties also met in Parliament to plan their strategy for the day.

Congress, Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray group), and Aam Aadmi Party are among the many parties.
Some opposition MPs have called for a debate on the Hindenburg report against Adani Enterprises.

A number of opposition leaders have sent suspension of business notices to both Houses of Parliament, demanding that the Hindenburg report on Adani Enterprises be discussed.

The leaders who gave the notice in their respective Houses include CPI(M) leader in Rajya Sabha MP Elamaram Kareem, Shiv Sena MP (Uddhav Thackeray faction) Priyanka Chaturvedi, CPI Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam, Bharat Rashtra Samithi Lok Sabha MP Nama Nageswara Rao, BRS Rajya Sabha MP K Keshava Rao, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh among others.

Earlier today, Communist Party of India MP Binoy Viswam gave a suspension of business notice to the Rajya Sabha Chairman asking a discussion on the Adani stock drop, terming the topic as “urgent”.

The CPI MP, who served the notice under Rule 267, stated that money belonging to the people of the country is in danger of “being wiped out” because to the ongoing situation with the Adani group.

“Huge public money belonging to the common people of India is at serious risk of being wiped out in the crisis that is currently unfolding with the Adani group of companies. It is deeply concerning that the Life Insurance Corporation of India (L1C), in which the people of India repose immense trust through their hard-earned money, has a total holding to the tune of Rs 35,917.31 crore as on December 31, 2022, under the Adani group of companies,” the MP said.

Claiming that around 40 per cent of the loans to the Adani group have been provided by the country’s largest public sector bank, State Bank of India (SBI), Viswam said that the matter is of “urgent importance” citing the huge amount of public money involved.

“As these institutions are vital for the functioning of the economy, the country as a whole is apprehensive. This is a matter of urgent importance bearing in mind the huge amount of public money involved and the credibility of India’s financial management system being at stake,” he said.

“In light of these revelations, the business of the house must be suspended, and this issue be taken up for discussion,” the MP added.

The first part of the session will conclude on February 13. Parliament will reconvene on March 12 for the second part of the Budget Session, which will conclude on April 6.