Shri Mallikarjun Kharge, Congress President and LoP (Rajya Sabha) reacted on Budget in a media byte at Vijay Chowk on February 02, 2023

Addressing the journalists, Shri Mallikarjun Kharge said that the leaders of all the parties, the opposition parties are with us and together we have taken a decision that the House should speak in unison about the economic scams taking place in the country today. To raise these issues is our collective aim. That’s why we had given a notice under 267. I will read it for you so that you get to know about the things we have written in it.

Suspension of business/notice under Rule 267 for 02 February 2023.

I hereby give notice under Rule 267 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct a Business in the Council of States of Rajya Sabha of my intention to move the following motion for suspension of business listed for 02 February, 2023:

“That this House do suspend Zero Hour and relevant rules relating to Question Hour and other businesses of the day to discuss the issue of investment by LIC, Public Sector Banks, and Financial Institutions in companies losing market value, endangering the hard-earned savings of crores of Indians.”

This is our notice and we wanted to discuss this notice, but whenever we give any notice, I am unable to comprehend as to what kind of notice should be given. Every single time, our notices are rejected and when we raise important issues, we do not get the opportunity to discuss them, do not get time.

The money of institutions belonging to crores of people is being wasted today and on the other hand poor people keep their money in the banks - be it SBI Bank or other nationalized banks - and that money is also being distributed everywhere today, is being given to a few companies and a report has come out internationally about that company, the Hindenburg Institute of the US has brought it out. Now, the shares of the company to which they had given money fell so much that many people fainted on hearing this. This government has created such a situation. Who is the owner of this company, you know it and instead of questioning someone again and again as a person, we will say that how the government is giving money to such companies, why is it getting it done through pressure, we do not understand.

Therefore, keeping in view the interest of the people and LIC, SBI, other banks, which are government institutions, there should be an inquiry. For this, we want to demand this discussion either by the Joint Parliamentary Committee or under the leadership of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. It should be investigated and the day-to-day report should also be kept in front of the public - what is its progress and from which bank this investigation is going on. There is a transparency in it and people also get to know about where their money, their investments and their earnings have gone, where they have been and how far they have been saved. They get a sort of reassurance. Otherwise, all the people, all the crores of policy holders of this country or those who keep their deposits in banks, lose their faith in the banks, lose their faith in LIC.

So, that’s why, we are doing this work in the interest of the people and our demand is to hold a discussion and our demand is to either form a Joint Parliamentary Committee and investigate it or investigate it by forming a committee headed by the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court and keep putting out day-to-day reports. This is our demand, that’s why we have come to you and the leaders of all the parties are also with us. They will also present their point for a minute each.