"Rahul Gandhi Obsessed With Businessman, Stalled Parliament": Kiren Rijiju To NDTV

One man's agenda is stalling parliament, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju told NDTV a day after a face-off between Opposition and National Democratic Alliance (NDA) MPs led to a huge showdown outside the Parliament House.

Mr Rijiju, Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, singled out Congress MP Rahul Gandhi as the instigator of the events that unfolded at the gates of the Parliament House.

The BJP has filed a first information report (FIR) against Rahul Gandhi over allegedly assaulting two BJP MPs.

"After four days of trouble, we agreed to run the house. And suddenly a case came up in a United States' court and some verdict was there in the US court. And because of one decision in a US court involving one businessman, an Indian, the Congress started creating trouble in the house. So, that was unfortunate," Mr Rijiju told NDTV.

"There are more than 40 million Indians across the globe. They must be involved in so many litigations and court cases. How can the Indian parliament be stalled just because some Indians are involved in court cases in some other country," Mr Rijiju said.

"So that's why I told the Congress MPs, but it seems Rahul Gandhi told them to create all kinds of scenes. All the Rajya Sabha MPs were literally asking me to run the house. I said 'we will run the house, but first you must convince Rahul Gandhi.

"It's not that all Congress MPs want to disrupt the proceedings of the house. A majority of the Congress MPs are like any other MPs who want to speak in the house, raise the voice of people. But only it seems Rahul Gandhi instructed them to create trouble because he is obsessed with one businessman, and because of that he wants to create trouble in the house.

"I don't want to make a personal comment, but what Rahul Gandhi did was unfortunate and unbecoming of being a Leader of the Opposition," Mr Rijiju told NDTV.

Rahul Gandhi has been attacking Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani over the US Department of Justice matter linked to directors of Adani Green. The Adani Group has said Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, and senior executive Vneet Jaain are clear of charges. Gautam Adani has said this was not a challenge the group has faced for the first time, adding, "every attack makes us stronger".

(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)