Both Houses of Parliament adjourned for the day amid ruckus over ‘Soros link', Adani issue

Both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day after they reconvened at 3 pm on Monday (December 9) amid sloganeering by both Treasury and Opposition sides as the former accused top Congress leaders of collusion with billionaire investor George Soros to destabilise the country.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar informed the House that he had a meeting in Chambers with the Leader of the House, the LoP and some other floor leaders. He said all sides assured him that integrity and sovereignty of the country is sacred to them. The leaders have assured the Chair to meet again in his Chambers at 10.30 am on Tuesday to find an end to the logjam.

The Upper House witnessed two adjournments during the pre-lunch session, with treasury bench members demanding a discussion on what they termed a national security issue.

Lok Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day after the Opposition's protests over allegations of George Soros-Congress link and Adani issue led to repeated disruptions.

When the House met at 11 am after the weekend, the Opposition members were on their feet, trying to raise their issues. A visibly agitated Speaker Om Birla asked the MPs to go back to their seats and allow the House to function.

The noisy protests again forced an adjournment till 2 pm and then till 3 pm, before the proceedings were wrapped for the day.

Destablising India 

Though the RS Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar rejected the motion, he kept allowing BJP MPs to raise the issue. Dhankar first allowed BJP MP Kavita Patidar to raise a 'matter with the permission of the Chair'.

Pointing at the Congress MPs, Patidar said media reports have linked leaders of a party with George Soros in attempts to destabilise India and as this is a matter related to national security, an adjournment motion under Rule 267 should be allowed.

Amid protests by Opposition benches, Dhankhar reiterated that no adjournment motion is being allowed but also ruled that such motions can be moved by Treasury Benches as well and it is not the exclusive prerogative of the Opposition.

Meanwhile, LoP Mallikarjun Kharge objected that the Chair had ignored his request to speak. This led to a heated exchange with Kharge telling Dhankhar that he was "killing democracy" by not following Parliamentary conventions and ignoring the Opposition. Dhankhar retorted saying nothing the LoP has said will go on record and that the LoP is giving a political speech.

Amid continued protests by the Opposition, the Chair called BJP MP Laxmikant Bajpai to make his Zero Hour mention. Bajpai too referred to assaults being made on India from forces overseas in collusion with Opposition parties. 

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh protested strongly telling the Chair that he is allowing an MP to raise an issue on which he has already rejected a discussion. 

Also read: Cash row in Parliament: Ploy to divert attention?

Uproar over media reports

As Opposition protests continued, RS was adjourned till noon. After it convened, leader of the House JP Nadda told the Chair that Treasury MPs demand a discussion on the media reports about a political party's involvement with George Soros.

BJP MP Radhamohan Das Agarwal named the Congress party, alleging it is colluding with the Deep State to destabilize India and that the Parliament needs to discuss this to expose "these anti-nationals, traitors".

BJP MP Ghanshyam Tiwari named Sonia Gandhi saying she is in cahoots with George Soros to damage India.

LoP Mallikarjun Kharge said MPs can't be levelling allegations against an MP who is not present in the House (alluding to Sonia Gandhi). To which, Dhankar asked Kharge to name the member who is not present in the House. 

Ruckus continued in the House with Treasury MPs on their feet and the Chair calling one BJP MP after another to reiterate the same allegations.

CPM MP John Brittas told the House should allow a joint discussion on both Adani and Soros. 

This led to Congress MP Digvijaya Singh telling the Chair, "we did not expect this behaviour from you, under what rule are you allowing these people to speak".

The RS was finally adjourned till 2 pm.

Also watch: Chaos in Rajya Sabha over cash found in Congress MP Abhishek Singhvi's seat

In Lok Sabha

Meanwhile, there was chaos in Lok Sabha too, which was also adjourned till 12 noon, after Opposition members, mostly Congress MPs, persisted on raising their issues.

When the House met at 11 am, the Opposition members were on their feet trying to raise their issues.

A visibly agitated Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asked the MPs to go back to their seats and allow the House to function.

"Question Hour is significant. Allow the House to function properly. But you don't want to allow the House to run. The country wants the House to run. You are disrupting the proceedings of the House," he told the protesting members and adjourned the House till 12 noon.

The adjournment came within a minute of the House resuming business after the weekend break.

The proceedings of the House were washed out in the first week of the winter session starting November 25 due to protests by Opposition members demanding that they be allowed to raise issues like the indictment of industrialist Gautam Adani in a US court and Sambhal violence.

Also read: BJP's allegations linking Congress to Soros trigger LS disruptions

Two days of work

Last week, the House functioned properly for only two days -- Tuesday and Wednesday.

It was disrupted on Thursday after BJP member Nishikant Dubey sought to draw some linkages between a foreign investor and a section of Opposition leaders and claimed an international conspiracy was afoot to derail India's success story under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Congress leader Gaurav Gogoi and others tried to counter the allegations levelled by Dubey, leading to turmoil and adjournment of the House.

The turmoil and repeated adjournments had continued on Friday too.

INDIA bloc MPs protest over Adani issue in Parliament complex

Meanwhile, leaders of some INDIA bloc parties protested inside Parliament complex and raised slogans to demand a joint parliamentary probe into the Adani issue.

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge along with MPs of other opposition parties stood outside the Makar Dwar of Parliament and raised slogans of "Modi, Adani ek hain" and "we want justice".

The Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and Aam Aadmi Party were not part of the protest. The BJP has been alleging that the INDIA bloc is disintegrating.

However, Samajwadi Party leader Ram Gopal Yadav said "all is well" in the opposition bloc.

MPs of the Left, DMK, Shiv Sena (UBT), RJD and NCP were among those who raised slogans and demanded a discussion and a probe into the Adani Group.

The protest took place in front of the steps of Parliament's Makar Dwar and not on the steps leading to it following an advisory by the Lok Sabha Secretariat not to protest on the steps.

The protesting MPs lined up in front of the Samvidhan Sadan and raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Adani.

The opposition protests on the Adani issue have been taking place inside Parliament complex ever since the start of the winter session.

The Congress and some other opposition parties have been demanding a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe following the indictment of Adani and other company officials in a US court.

The Congress has said Adani's indictment "vindicates" its demand for a JPC probe into the various "scams" involving the billionaire industrialist's conglomerate.

Rahul Gandhi has sought Adani's immediate arrest. The Adani Group has dismissed all allegations as "baseless"

(With inputs from agencies)