Parliament Winter Session Highlights: Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha Adjourned Till Noon Amid Adani And Sambhal Protests
Parliament Winter Session 2024: The Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha are set for tumultuous sessions again over the Adani and Sambhal violence issues as the Winter Session gets underway today.
ABP News Bureau Last Updated: 28 Nov 2024 12:21 PM
Background
Parliament Winter Session Highlights: After two "unproductive" business days of the Winter Session, the Parliament is set to resume on Thursday. Parliament's Winter Session began on Monday. It had a...More
Parliament Winter Session Highlights: After two "unproductive" business days of the Winter Session, the Parliament is set to resume on Thursday. Parliament's Winter Session began on Monday. It had a one-day break to observe Constitution Day at a joint sitting of both Houses on November 26.Parliament saw no significant progress on the second business day of the winter session, as opposition protests disrupted both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The protests centred around demands for discussions regarding allegations of wrongdoing by the Adani Group, the violence in Sambhal, and other issues. Both Houses were adjourned twice — once in the morning and again for the day — due to continued uproar from opposition members.Day 4 of Parliament is unlikely to be any different, with the Opposition determined to press for discussions on debates on the Adani Group allegations and the recent violence in Sambhal during a court-ordered survey of a mosque. Congress's Wayanad winner Priyanka Gandhi is also set to take oath as an MP today. In the Lok Sabha, Speaker Om Birla began the proceedings with Question Hour but had to adjourn the session after Opposition members raised slogans. When the House reconvened at noon, opposition members again rushed to the Well of the House, prompting BJP member Dilip Saikia, who was in the chair, to adjourn the session for the day after laying official papers.In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar sparked protests after rejecting 18 notices seeking the suspension of scheduled business to address topics including calls for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) inquiry into the Adani Group. After a brief adjournment, when the House reconvened at 11:30 AM, similar protests occurred, leading Dhankhar to adjourn the proceedings for the day, stating that the House was not in order. The notices had called for discussions on allegations of misconduct, including corruption, bribery, and financial irregularities related to the Adani Group, as well as the violence in Sambhal and rising crime in Delhi.Congress members were the primary proponents of a Rule 267 discussion, specifically demanding a JPC investigation into the Adani allegations. Other opposition parties raised similar issues through their own notices. Dhankhar explained that the House needed to adhere to well-established traditions and that rulings from the Chair should be respected to avoid creating divisions. He also reiterated that while these matters could be raised in accordance with the rules, they would not be discussed under Rule 267 on that day.Out of the 18 adjournment notices, at least nine were from Congress MPs focusing on the Adani Group, while others sought to discuss violence in Manipur and Sambhal. Notices were also filed by various other opposition MPs from parties such as AAP, TMC, DMK, CPI, CPI-M, SP, and IUML, calling for discussions on topics including the rising crime rate in Delhi and the ongoing violence in Manipur and Sambhal.Earlier, the Chairman extended birthday greetings to Rajya Sabha members Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharyya, Wanweiroy Kharlukhi, and Dharmshila Gupta. On Monday, the first day of the winter session, the Rajya Sabha was also adjourned early due to opposition demands for a discussion on the Adani Group. There was no sitting of the House on Tuesday. Meanwhile, the Adani Group, which has denied any wrongdoing, issued a statement on Wednesday refuting allegations of violations and clarified that neither Gautam Adani nor his nephew Sagar had been charged with any violations of the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act in a recent New York court filing related to an alleged bribery case.Around 16 Bills are scheduled to be tabled in Parliament during the Winter Session, which will run till Dec 10. Among the "contentious" Bills is the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. However, it is unlikely to be passed in Lok Sabha this session, as the parliamentary committee examining the Bill is likely to be extended till the last day of the next Budget Session.
Parliament Winter Session Updates: Rajya Sabha Adjourned Till 11 AM Tomorrow
Amid continuous sloganeering by Opposition MPs in Rajya Sabha, House Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said, "This chamber is more than just House of debate. Parliamentary disputation weakens our democracy".