"Ridiculous, BJP Scared": Priyanka Gandhi On Sonia Gandhi-George Soros Links

The Congress - under heavy fire from the Bharatiya Janata Party over alleged links between ex party boss Sonia Gandhi and businessman George Soros - hit back Tuesday through Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who dismissed the Soros-Sonia Gandhi claims as "ridiculous" and an attempt to distract voters.

Ms Gandhi Vadra also counter-accused the ruling party of "deliberately not running Parliament (which was, this afternoon, adjourned for the day after raucous protests from both sides)".

"It is the most ridiculous thing they could come up with. They are talking about some 1994 thing... no one has any record of it. No one knows what they are talking about. The only reason they are doing this is because they don't want to discuss the Adani issue..." she told reporters.

"They are scared... they know they cannot debate this because the truth will be revealed," she said, as also calling out Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his absence from Parliament.

"I am new in Parliament but, till now, the Prime Minister was not seen... this is very strange," Ms Gandhi Vadra said. Mr Modi is scheduled to address the Lok Sabha on Saturday.

The Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, has made the Adani issue - i.e., an indictment by the United States Department of Justice against Adani Green Energy - the cornerstone of its attack plan for this session of Parliament. Mr Gandhi, a fierce critic of ties between the Adani Group and the ruling party, has often warned of collusion between the government and the corporate giant.

READ | BJP vs Congress On US Govt Department Move Against Adani Group

The Adani Group, however, has maintained that billionaire Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, and senior executive Vineet Jain are clear of bribery charges. In response to the charges Mr Adani said his group often faced challenges and that "every attack makes us stronger".

Meanwhile, the Congress' demands - not always echoed by its INDIA bloc allies - to discuss the issue in this session of Parliament were, however, backed today, with many supporting a no-confidence motion against Rajya Sabha Chair Jagdeep Dhankhar on grounds of partisanship.

READ | Opposition Moves No-Confidence Vote Against Jagdeep Dhankhar

The protests accompanying the motion, and in the Lok Sabha, forced Parliament to adjourn, hours ahead of the scheduled close, for the day. In a strong message Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla lamented the behaviour of MPs, from both sides, in the "temple of democracy".

On the adjournment, Ms Gandhi Vadra said the ruling party always rushed to shut down Parliament when faced with tough questions. "We try every day to have a discussion, but they don't want to. That is why they get the House adjourned through any reason..." she said.

READ | "Disappointing Conduct": In Huge Parliament Standoff, Speaker Warns Opposition

Party colleague KC Venugopal echoed the sentiment, telling reporters, "The government is saying the opposition is not allowing Parliament... but it is they that is not running it."

From the BJP, union ministers and senior MPs, including Giriraj Singh and Kiren Rijiju, spoke out in chorus, accusing the Congress of not "clarifying" allegations of collusion between Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi and media organisations and think-tanks funded by George Soros.

Post the adjournment call opposition MPs protested on the steps of the Parliament building, once again demanding the government respond to the US' indictment of an Adani firm.

With input from agencies

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