Parliament Logjam Continues On Day 6, Both Houses Adjourned Amid Ruckus Over Oppn's Demand For JPC On Adani Issue

The proceedings of both Houses were adjourned for the day on Tuesday amid ruckus over Opposition's demand for JPC into the Adani issue.

Opposition MPs protest on the first floor of the Parliament demanding joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the Adani Group issue during Budget Session, in New Delhi, Tuesday, March 21, 2023. ( Image Source :PTI )

Amid ruckus over Opposition's demand for JPC into the Adani issue, the proceedings of both Houses were adjourned for the day on Tuesday. The Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded an apology from the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his "democracy in danger" remark in London. The Upper House of Parliament will meet again on March 23, as reported by the news agency PTI.

The Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm, after the Opposition MPs raised slogans demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee inquiry into the Adani issue. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla convened a meeting of leaders of all parties in his chamber at 1 pm, ANI reported.

When Rajya Sabha reassembled at 2 pm after an adjournment, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar led the House in greeting the country for various festivals, including Chaitra Sukhladi, Gudi Padwa, Ugadi, Cheti Chand, Navre and Sajibu Cheiraoba. He also said on the request of several members to enable them to participate in the festivities, the House will not have a sitting on Wednesday and instead it would meet on March 23.

Dhankhar then tried to take up the listed business of discussion on the working of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship amid protests from Opposition members. He then gave the floor to Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge.

When Kharge stood up and said that "Rahul Gandhi is not a member of this House and there is no question of him apologising (in this House)...", ruling party members shouted slogans demanding Gandhi's apology for his remark in London, PTI reported. It led to Dhankhar adjourning the House till March 23 (Thursday).

The proceedings of the House were adjourned till 2 pm after MPs from treasury benches created an uproar over Gandhi's remarks. Opposition members too were on their feet after Chairman Dhankhar rejected 11 notices under Rule 267 to suspend the schedule business of the day and take up matters related to the Adani issue.

Before adjourning the proceedings till 2 pm, the chairman asked floor leaders of various political leaders to meet him in his chamber at 11.30 am.

Opposition party members who had given notices under Rule 267 of Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Council of States (Rajya Sabha) were: Amee Yajnik, Pramod Tiwari, Tiruchi Siva, Kumar Ketkar, Neeraj Dangi, Rajneet Ranjan, Jebi Mather Hisham, Syed Nasir Hussain, Elamaram Kareem, Sanjay Singh and Sandosh Kumar P.

Through the notices, some of the opposition MPs had demanded to discuss the government's failure to constitute a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to investigate the charges of corporate fraud, political corruption, stock market manipulation and financial mismanagement against Adani group.

CPI(M) member Kareem wanted to raise the issue of the Opposition's demand for a high-level inquiry monitored on a day-to-day basis by the Supreme Court or a JPC probe to know the truth behind the allegations made in the Hindenburg report against Adani enterprises "endangering" people's deposit in LIC, SBI and other banks.

Sandosh Kumar P of the CPI demanded constitution of the JPC to probe the allegations made by Hindenburg research against the Adani Group regarding stock manipulations and accounting frauds.

AAP's Sanjay Singh, through his notice, wanted to raise the issue to discuss the "fraud" committed by the conglomerate in electricity production and distribution in Rajasthan and Maharashtra. Before giving his ruling on the 11 notices, the chairman said people expect Rajya Sabha members to be in order and engage in deliberation and discussion. "The entire country is keen about it," Dhankhar said. Earlier, the House extended birthday greetings to Ram Shakal, a nominated member. 

Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday, again wrote to Lok Sabha speaker Om Birla, seeking permission to speak in the Lower House to respond to the allegations levelled at him by the Bharatiya Janata Party-led centre. Addressing to the Lok Sabah speaker, Rahul Gandhi said in the letter, "I had written to you on March 17 seeking your permission to respond to totally baseless and unfair charges hurled at me by senior ministers in the Lok Sabha", as quoted by ANI.

"I am making such a request again. I am seeking this permission under the conventions of Parliamentary practice, the constitutionally embedded rules of natural justice and Rule 357 of the Rules and Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha," he added.
He said that the Rule 357 of the Rules and Procedure and Conduct of Business in Lok Sabha allows him to respond to the allegations in the Parliament.

Citing Rule 357, Rahul Gandhi stated, "A member may, with the permission of the speaker, make a personal explanation although there is no question before the House, in this case, no debatable matter may be brought forward, and no debate shall arise", as quoted by ANI. Hitting out at the ruling regime, the Congress leader called the allegations against him as "scurrilous" and "defamatory".