New Delhi: The opposition on Sunday pressed the Centre to allow a discussion in Parliament on the US prosecutors' bribery allegations against the Adani Group. Union Minister Kiren Rijiju, however, emphasized that topics for discussion in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha would be determined by their respective authorized committees with the consent of the presiding officers.

Following an all-party meeting held ahead of the Winter Session, set to commence Monday, Rijiju said the government had urged all parties to cooperate for the smooth functioning of Parliament. The meeting, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, was attended by 42 leaders from 30 parties.

Congress, through Deputy Leader Gaurav Gogoi, highlighted the Adani issue as a "scam" during the meeting, urging the government not to dismiss their demands on technical grounds, as the matter concerns national institutions and investors. Gogoi said, "The government should not reject or ignore our demand on any technicality as it concerns Indian institutions and investors."

The Adani Group has categorically denied the allegations, calling them baseless and stating that it adheres to all legal requirements. Congress leader Pramod Tiwari also demanded prioritization of this issue, stating, "It is a grave issue involving the country's economic and security interests as over Rs 2,300 crore were allegedly paid by the company to politicians and bureaucrats to get favourable deals for its solar energy projects."

Turning to the Manipur violence, Gogoi accused the government of showing bias by retaining Chief Minister N. Biren Singh despite alleged involvement in the unrest while taking action against leaders in other states like Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir. He reiterated, "The matter must be debated in the Parliament."

The Winter Session, running from November 25 to December 20, will address a variety of pending and proposed legislation. Among the matters raised by BJP allies Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party was the pending implementation of promises made under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, 2014. TDP’s Lavu Sri Krishna Devarayalu called for a status update on these promises, stating, "We want the government to put the status on record."

Jana Sena’s Balashowry Vallabhaneni echoed similar concerns. Devarayalu added, "The Polavaram irrigation project has come to a standstill." He also pointed to the need for a Parliament discussion on disaster management, given the increasing impact of climate change on southern cities. Regarding the Adani allegations, he remarked, "More details need to come out but our party does not want the state's brand image to be harmed."

DMK’s Tiruchi Siva urged the withdrawal of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which the government plans to table despite resistance from Muslim organizations. Akali Dal leader Harsimrat Kaur Badal and LJP (Ram Vilas) MP Arun Bharti raised concerns about frequent floods in Bihar and demanded constitutional safeguards for SCs and STs through the lateral entry provision.

The government has listed 16 bills for consideration during the session, with eight pending in the Lok Sabha. Among them is the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which is awaiting the submission of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) report. Opposition members in the JPC have accused its chairman, BJP MP Jagdambika Pal, of rushing proceedings and sought an extension for the report's submission timeline. Rijiju said, "There is a provision to extend the tenure of the JPC but as of now, there have been no discussions on it."

The session's legislative agenda does not yet include bills related to implementing simultaneous elections, although reports suggest that the government may introduce them during the session. PTI