Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi openly criticized the central government’s privatization policies after a meeting with individuals associated with Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) at the Parliament Complex in Delhi on Friday.

Rahul Gandhi accused the government of pushing for privatization of even profitable PSUs, claiming that national assets are being handed over to a select group of capitalists. Sharing this stance on its official X handle, the Congress party said, “Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi met people associated with Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs). The Modi government is bent on privatizing even the profitable PSUs.”

The statement continued, “The country’s assets are being handed over to select capitalists. We have been raising our voices against this issue from the streets to Parliament and will continue to do so.”Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra was also present during the meeting. Meanwhile, in the run-up to a Constitution debate in the Lok Sabha, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge accused the government of misusing autonomous bodies and stated that governance in the country is not functioning effectively.

On Friday, a special discussion commemorating the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution was scheduled to begin, with newly elected Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra expected to deliver her first speech in the Lok Sabha.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh was likely to open the debate, which is set to continue for two days. The discussion is scheduled to begin at 12 noon, with over 12 BJP leaders participating. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will deliver his response to the debate on the evening of December 14.

Leaders from the ruling National Democratic Alliance (NDA), including HD Kumaraswamy, Srikant Shinde, Shambhavi Chaudhary, Rajkumar Sangwan, Jiten Ram Manjhi, Anupriya Patel, and Rajiv Ranjan Singh, are also expected to participate. Sources suggest that BJP and its allies are likely to reference the Emergency period and criticize what they term “false narratives” from the opposition.

Additionally, DMK leaders TR Balu and A Raja, along with Trinamool Congress MPs Kalyan Banerjee and Mahua Moitra, are expected to contribute to the debate. Both the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and Congress have issued a 'three-line whip' to ensure their members' presence in the discussion.

The winter session of Parliament, which began on November 25, has seen repeated disruptions, leading to early adjournments in both Houses. The session is set to conclude on December 20.

Disclaimer: This image is taken from Business Standard