Budget Session: Amid Ruckus on Adani row, Both Houses of Parliament Adjourned

Prior to the day`s session, Opposition parties held a meeting in the Parliament today.

NEW DELHI: Proceedings of Lok Sabha were adjourned till 2 pm on Firday while those of Rajya Sabha were adjourned till 2:30 pm today due to opposition parties reiterating their demand for a joint parliamentary committee probe into the tanking of Adani Group company shares that has led to a stock market rout. 

A number of Opposition leaders including Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, DMK Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari, BRS MP K Keshava Rao, Shiv Sena MP (Uddhav Thackeray faction) Priyanka Chaturvedi, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dr Syed Naseer Hussain, and CPI(M) MP Elamaram Kareem gave suspension of Business notice to their respective Houses to hold a discussion on the allegations levelled by US-based Hindenburg Research against Adani Group.

When the Rajya Sabha assembled for the day, Jagdeep Dhankhar urged members to let the House continue with its designated business. However, as Opposition members raised slogans, he adjourned the proceedings till 2.30 pm.In Lok Sabha, too Opposition members demanded a discussion but Speaker Om Birla disallowed it saying the House is to take up the important discussion on Presidential Address. As the opposition protest continued, the House was adjourned till 2 p.m.

Prior to the day`s session, Opposition parties held a meeting in the Parliament today. Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh described the Adani stock row as "corruption" and alleged that it is the corruption of the Narendra Modi government. 

"I have given a notice under Rule 267 today also, and we demand the constitution of a JPC or a Supreme Court-monitored time-bound inquiry of the matter. It is not the corruption of Adani alone, it is the corruption of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government. Adani has the protection of PM Modi," Singh alleged. He further demanded an answer from the Prime Minister and said that he cannot "escape" the questions.

"Whose black money is this? If the Prime Minister is silent on the issue, his black money is there in foreign countries which are coming to India. Whose money was brought into Adani's company through fake companies from the foreign land? PM Modi is surrounded by questions and cannot escape from answering," the AAP MP said.

Speaking to ANI ahead of the day`s session, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury said that there is no harm in demanding a JPC and a nudge from the Prime Minister's Office would be sufficient for the constitution of a JPC. "What is the harm in demanding the constitution of a JPC? The entire stock market has been reeling under total uncertainties. It is incumbent upon us to seek justice for the people of our country. It is easy to concede to our demand. Just a knock from the PMO is enough for the constitution of a JPC. The government should concede to the demand of the Opposition parties," he said.

Congress MP Manish Tewari stressed on the probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee into the alleged corruption and said that it is important that the JPC looks into the "India's regulatory architecture which governs our financial system". 

"We do not want a talk out, we want a JPC not because it is individual specific, but we are concerned about the failure of the regulatory institutions that why an unknown company puts out a report and the markets react in this manner. Has there been a failure of RBI? It is important that a JPC should look into the efficacy of India's regulatory architecture which governs our capital markets and our financial system. So, rather than come defensive, the government must agree to a JPC," he said.

Shiv Sena MP (Uddhav Thackeray faction), when asked about the ruckus created by the Opposition in the Parliament, said that there will be a ruckus and alleged that the voices of the Opposition are being "suppressed".

"If there will not be a ruckus on this issue, what other issue will the ruckus be for? It is a matter of looting the country. We will definitely create a ruckus when it comes down to LIC and SBI. The Parliament should run, and we will raise the issue. But our voices are suppressed. We are with the Congress demand for a JPC probe," he said.

Congress MP K Suresh said that the government is "not ready" to give a statement on the issue. "We demanded a statement from the government yesterday. But the government is not ready to give any statement or clarification. The House was adjourned after he demanded a discussion on the issue. Today also we are moving an adjournment motion on the matter," he said.

Mallikarjun Kharge, ahead of the joint meeting of Opposition parties said, "We have called the meeting of the Opposition party. We will discuss the steps to be taken further. We give notices according to the rules."

Yesterday, both houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day after the Opposition created a ruckus and demanded a discussion on the Hindenburg report on the Adani conglomerate. The Opposition leaders on Thursday had demanded a discussion on the Hindenburg report against Adani Enterprises while also seeking the constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into the alleged aberrations.