Ahead of the crucial Constitution debate in the Lok Sabha on Friday, the Treasury benches on Thursday tried to escalate tensions with the Opposition, making strong allegations about the Gandhi family’s “connections” to Hungarian-American philanthropist George Soros whom the BJP accuses of plotting to “destabilise” India.

The government’s renewed aggression over the Soros issue was seen as a signal of the upcoming storm ahead of the two-day debate (Friday-Saturday) on 75 years of the Constitution, first in the Lok Sabha and then in the Rajya Sabha (Monday-Tuesday). The Opposition has pushed for the special debate and the ruling party fears it could be used to target the government over other issues, particularly the Adani charges in the US.

Many in the Opposition are apprehensive that the government will try to steer proceedings during the special discussion on the Constitution in the two Houses in a manner that will deny the Opposition its say. Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien said: “When will the Prime Minister understand that Parliament is not an extended version of Mann ki Baat?”

Amid loud protests by Opposition members in the presence of Sonia Gandhi, BJP president and leader of the House J.P. Nadda led the attack in the Rajya Sabha. “George Soros is donating billions of dollars to destabilise India. The country wants to know the relationship between Sonia Gandhi and Soros. The Congress is raising the same issues which are raised by Soros,” Nadda said.

In the Lok Sabha, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey targeted Sonia and Rahul Gandhi. “The FDLAP (Forum of Democratic Leaders in Asia Pacific) funded by Soros considers Kashmir as a separate country. What is the relation between the FDLAP and the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation and Sonia Gandhi?” Dubey asked amid the din in the Lok Sabha, saying the Congress hasn’t yet answered the questions raised by him.

The government’s offensive came a day after the Congress toned down its protests targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the Adani issue and underlined that the Opposition wants Parliament to run so that the debate over the Constitution can be held. Both the BJP and the Congress issued a whip asking their MPs to be present in the House on Friday and Saturday for “very important business”.

Outside, on the Parliament premises, textiles minister Giriraj Singh was seen waving posters containing separate pictures of Sonia and Soros, indicating the ruling side’s intent to irritate the Congress ahead of the Constitution debate.

Sensing the mood of the Treasury benches, Congress MPs gathered outside the Parliament gate to raise slogans linking Modi and Adani. Waving placards that said “Desh ko bechne nahi denge (Will not allow the country to be sold)”, Congress members led by Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra raised the slogan “Modi ke dil mein kaun hai? Adani, Adani (Who resides in Modi’s heart? Adani, Adani)”.

The Lok Sabha commenced normal business with Question Hour in the morning. Trouble started during Zero Hour post-noon when Dubey once again used the Soros stick to beat out the Congress.

Amid uproarious protests by the Congress MPs, the House was adjourned for an hour. Earlier, Congress’s K.C. Venugopal had protested against references to persons who are not members of the House (like Soros) being allowed to go on record when
the same yardstick was not being applied to the Adani matter. The Chair did not issue any clarification.

The Opposition, particularly the Congress, however, did not make a big issue out of it and allowed the Lok Sabha to run and take up the business of the day, sticking to their decision not to paralyse the House.

In the Rajya Sabha, however, where the Opposition has submitted a no-confidence notice against Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar, the ruling side MPs protested alleging links between the Congress and Soros as soon as the House commenced. Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said the Treasury benches were trying to deviate from critical issues.

In the post-lunch session, Kharge described the allegations linking his party and Soros as “reckless”. He objected to references to Sonia in the House, citing a rule that requires a notice of intimation to be served before levelling “incriminatory” charges against a member of the House. Amid protests from both sides, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned for the day.