Opposition’s stalls parliament proceedings for third day. demand a JPC probe into the Adani Group issue.
Staff Reporter
Both Houses of Parliament adjourned for the day on Monday following opposition’s protest over the Adani Group issue. This was the third consecutive day when the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha could not transact any substantive business due to disruption by the opposition parties.
Ever since a report by New York-based investor research firm, Hindenburg Research, accused the Adani Group of corporate fraud and brazen manipulation of the stock markets, Opposition parties have been pressing for a discussion on its impact on public financial institutions like the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) and the State Bank of India (SBI), which have invested in several projects of the port-to-power conglomerate.
In Lok Sabha, when the House reassembled after the first adjournment at 2 PM, members from Congress, DMK and others trooped into the well demanding Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the matter.
TMC, JDU, NCP, Shiv Sena (UBT) and other opposition party members were also on their feet. Amid the ruckus, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi urged the agitating members to allow the House to take up discussion on President Droupadi Murmu’s address to both Houses of Parliament.
He said, discussion on the President’s address is a Parliamentary tradition and it should not be stalled. Mr. Joshi added that members can raise any issue during the discussion and the government is ready to reply. The Minister said, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman has already clarified the government’s stand over the issue. The Presiding Officer urged the members to go back to their seats but the agitating members continued with their protest, leading to the adjournment of the House for the day.
Earlier in the morning, when the House met for the day, opposition parties created uproar over the issue. Speaker Om Birla said the House is for debate and discussion and stalling the proceedings in a pre-planned manner is not appropriate. Mr. Birla said, he is ready to listen to every member but the way the House is being disrupted is against its decorum. He added that sloganeering in the House is against the interests of the people of the country and repeatedly urged the members to allow the House to function. But the protesting members did not pay heed leading to adjournment of the House till 2 PM.
In the Rajya Sabha, when the House reassembled at 2 PM after the first adjournment, opposition members again tried to raise the Adani Group issue. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar stressed that the House must continue with the listed business. He said, it will give the members an opportunity to raise issues. Congress, Left, DMK and other opposition members created noisy scenes, leading to adjournment of the House for the day, minutes after it met in the post-lunch session.
In the morning, when the House assembled for the day, the Chairman disallowed the adjournment notices moved by the Opposition parties on the Adani group issue. Following this, Congress, TMC, DMK, Samajwadi Party, Shiv Sena (UBT), Left and other opposition members created noisy scenes. The Chairman appealed to the members to allow the House to take up the scheduled business. As the uproar continued, the Chairman adjourned the House .