New Delhi: Both Houses of Parliament were on Thursday adjourned after leaders of several Opposition parties demanded a discussion over the US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research's allegations against the Gautam Adani-led Group. Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned till 2 PM amid ruckus over the issue. The Opposition leaders met to evolve a joint strategy to take on the central government during the Budget Session and decided to seek a discussion on the Adani Group issue.


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The Opposition later held a press conference at the Vijay Chowk over the issue. “We wanted a discussion on that. Our notices get rejected. When we raise important issues, no time is given for discussion on them. Money of poor people is there in LIC, SBI and other national banks & it is being given to selected companies. Either a Joint Parliamentary Committee or a team under the supervision of the CJI of the Supreme Court should investigate this: Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said.


 



 


Earlier, leaders of like-minded parties met in the chamber of the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, and discussed the issues that are to be brought up during the session which began on January 31.


 



 


Sources said the opposition parties have decided to jointly raise the Adani Group crisis in Parliament and demand a discussion on it. Leaders of the Congress, DMK, TMC, SP, JD(U), Shiv Sena, CPI(M), CPI, NCP, IUML, NC, AAP and the Kerala Congress were present at the meeting.


Kharge said the like-minded parties would have better coordination during the session to unitedly raise issues of public importance. The opposition parties are seeking to raise the Adani issue, Chinese transgressions at the border and the role of Governors in states, and demand a discussion.


"We'll demand that a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) should be constituted to go into the alleged aberrations. The question is not only about one promoter but about the efficacy of the entire regulatory system," Congress MP Manish Tewari said while reacting to the Hindenburg report against Adani Group.


The first part of the Budget Session will take up the discussion on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, and then on the Union Budget 2023-24 which was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday. Meanwhile, several opposition leaders have given adjournment notices in both Houses to raise the Adani Group issue in the wake of the Hindenburg report.


While Kharge has given the notice in Rajya Sabha, the Congress whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore has given the adjournment notice in Lok Sabha to discuss the Adani issue. AAP member Sanjay Singh and BRS MP K Keshava Rao have given the adjournment notices in the Rajya Sabha, demanding an immediate discussion on the matter.


Seeking suspension of business notice under Rule 267 for Thursday, Kharge said, "That this House suspend Zero Hour and relevant rules relating to Question Hour and other businesses of the day to discuss the issue of investment by LIC, public sector banks and financial institutions in companies losing market value, endangering the hard-earned savings of crores of Indians."


Giving notice under Rule 267 (suspension of business) to discuss the Hindenburg report against Adani Enterprises, Rao said the report exposes the dangers to which the Indian people and economy are subjected to and merit immediate discussion, adjourning the other business.