On Tuesday, for the second consecutive day, Chief of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi tried to cite or say: Unpublished memoirs of former military chief Normal MM Naravane It launched an assault towards the Narendra Modi authorities over a army battle with China in jap Ladakh in August 2020.
His efforts led to a standoff between Congress and the Treasury Bench, and eight members of Congress have been suspended for the rest of the session.
Prime Minister Modi is compromising.
The Prime Minister is afraid to permit me to talk in Parliament about Mr Narrabane, Mr Epstein Information and the way we caved in on tariffs. pic.twitter.com/V1J6yxZDM2
—Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) February 3, 2026
Within the run-up to the Finances session, Parliament had recognized overseas coverage and the Particular Intensive Revision (SIR) of the Electoral Register as points difficult the federal government. The primary subject had the assist of some opposition events, and the latter had the assist of many opposition events. However previously two days, Mr. Gandhi has develop into extra assertive, and occasion insiders say this was a deliberate technique to put Prime Minister Narendra Modi within the highlight and create a brand new narrative.
Congress sources mentioned Gandhi needed to handle the Naravane revelations, the Jeffrey Epstein file and the India-US commerce deal in his handle to Parliament on Tuesday. And so they needed to attract a typical floor that PM Modi claims is “compromising”. And that is mentioned to be the brand new line of assault he was planning towards Modi. Previously, the Congress has tried in useless to tackle the Bharatiya Janata Occasion and the federal government on the difficulty of nationalism, however this time it’s making an attempt to zero in on the Prime Minister by labeling him as accountable.
The Ministry of International Affairs final Saturday denied allegations of wrongdoing after Modi’s title appeared amongst references in newly launched US Justice Division recordsdata referring to convicted intercourse offender Epstein.
Congressional sources mentioned Mr. Gandhi needed to hyperlink the commerce deal to U.S. prosecutors’ indictment of Adani Group Chairman Gautam Adani and others in a bribery case and revelations within the Epstein file. He additionally supposed to argue that “this commerce deal was a tough promote by a compromised prime minister to learn American pursuits on the expense of Indian farmers and the lack of India’s strategic autonomy by agreeing to halt purchases of Russian oil,” sources mentioned.
“Modi is scared,” Gandhi advised reporters exterior parliament. “The commerce deal, which had been suspended for 4 months, was all of a sudden concluded yesterday night. Nothing has modified (the deal). Each Modi and I do know the rationale. There’s great strain on Modi. Modi’s picture balloon, which has value lots of of billions to construct, might burst.”
When requested what the strain was, the Congress chief mentioned, “There’s a case towards Adani within the US. It’s not concentrating on Adani, it’s concentrating on Prime Minister Modi’s monetary construction. The second is the Epstein file. The most important a part of the Epstein file. Abhi aur maar hai..wo abhi launch nahin huahai (There are extra vital points with the Epstein file and that too has not been made public). So, due to this strain, the entire nation desires to know what it’s.” The Epstein recordsdata, which have been by no means totally launched, are two strain factors and the nation ought to perceive that the prime minister is in danger. ”
Mr. Gandhi mentioned the issue was not Normal Naravane’s statements. “It is a sideshow, and we all know it. The primary drawback is that the prime minister has been pressured to compromise. Folks have to consider what he did and the way he did it. However for the primary time in historical past, an opposition chief was not allowed to talk within the presidential handle.”
On the commerce deal, Mr. Gandhi mentioned Mr. Modi had offered out the farmers. “And it was offered as a result of he compromised. He did not simply promote you, he offered the nation. That is one thing I wasn’t allowed to speak about…Modi is scared as a result of the individuals who constructed his picture at the moment are making an attempt to destroy it.”
one other pivot
Mr. Gandhi had been concentrating on the Bharatiya Janata Occasion authorities for months on expenses of “vote theft.” However Congressional leaders mentioned the difficulty failed to seek out traction on the bottom. And earlier than that, Gandhi sought to kind a pillar of social justice for the Congress, repeatedly talking about the necessity to break by the 50% cap on reservations and conduct a caste census. Now, a brand new improvement has begun.
Whereas the occasion confirmed it will not again down, some leaders felt that disrupting parliament and derailing debate on the president’s speech won’t go effectively with different opposition events. However that seems to be a big gamble taken by Congressional management.
