New Delhi: Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Monday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will do his best to 'avoid' discussion on the Adani Group row in Parliament. The statement came as Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day without transacting any business while Opposition parties continued to raise slogans in the House over allegations of fraud against the Adani Group.
"PM Narendra Modi will do his best to 'avoid' discussion on Adani issue in Parliament," Rahul Gandhi said, as per news agency PTI.
"The government will try its best that no discussion takes place on the Adani issue in Parliament. The government should allow a discussion on this in the Parliament," news agency ANI quoted him as saying.
ALSO READ | Budget Session: Oppn MPs Protest At Gandhi Statue. 'First Priority' Is PM's Response To Adani Row
Parliament Adjourned Due To Opposition Protests
In Lok Sabha, opposition members primarily Congress MPs came to the Well shouting slogans such as "Adani sarkar shame-shame" as they demanded a probe into the tanking of the Adani Group shares and into the business practices of the corporate giant, news agency PTI reported.
Speaker Om Birla urged them to go back to their seats. "This is not good. Sloganeering is against the dignity of the House. People have elected you to raise their issues in Parliament but you are not interested in participating in debate," he said, as per PTI.
Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar also did not allow the request for a discussion on the Adani Group issue, asking opposition leaders to let the listed business conclude. With parties unrelenting, he adjourned the House for the day.
LS speaker Birla said the opposition members should come to his chamber and discuss with him their demands while he assured them that he would give the parties enough time to raise their issues in the House.
ALSO READ |
"This is Parliament. Maintain some dignity. This is a respected House. The House is for debate and discussions. The way you are disrupting the house is not good," he said, as per PTI.
"Have people elected you for sloganeering in Parliament. You have ruled this country for a long time. Such behaviour is not good on your part. You are not interested in allowing the House to function properly,” he added.
However, the Opposition continued their protests and slogan-shouting, forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House till 2 pm and then for the day.
Earlier in the morning session, VP Dhankhar did not accept 10 notices given by various leaders of Opposition parties to suspend the listed business of the day and take up the issues raised by them.
In Lok Sabha TMC members also stood for registering their protests but they raised their demands from their respective seats.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi also requested the Opposition to calm down and allow the tradition of discussing the President's address.
"I request you to let the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address be allowed to take place as it is part of Parliamentary convention. Whatever you want to say you can say during the debate and the government will reply," he said, as quoted by PTI.
He also stressed that the government's stand has been stated by Finance Minister and is in the public domain.
The market losses of the Adani Group have risen to nearly USD 103 billion (about Rs 8.5 lakh crore).
The rout in Adani group stocks has threatened the value of investments made by the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) and public sector banks.