Parliament adjourned till 2 pm amid Opposition protest over Adani row

Both the Houses of Parliament were adjourned till 2 pm on Monday (February 6) following protests by the Opposition, demanding a joint parliamentary committee probe into the fraud-allegation-triggered rout in the Adani Group company stocks.

Soon after the House met after the weekend break, Opposition members, primarily Congress MPs, came to the well of the House shouting slogans and demanding a probe into the tanking of the Adani Group scrips and sought a probe into the business practices of the corporate giant.

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Speaker Om Birla appealed them to go back to their seats and participate in the debate. “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.

Birla said the opposition members should come to his chamber and discuss their demands and assured that he would give them enough time to raise the issues in the House. However, the Opposition ignored his pleas and continued their protests and slogan-shouting forcing the Speaker to adjourn the House till 2 pm. MPs of Trinamool Congress were also on their feet, but protested from their respective seats.

Dhankar refuses to take up notices

In the Upper House, Chairman and Vice President Jagdeep 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.

The opposition parties protested against this. The chairman tried to pacify the protesting members, but in vain. He adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.

Protests on Parliament premises

In the morning, leaders of 16 opposition parties met to coordinate their joint strategy in the House on the Adani issue and held a protest on Parliament premises demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe or a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the matter.

Among the parties that participated in the meeting held in the chamber of Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge were the Congress, DMK, NCP, BRS, JDU, SP, CPM, CPI, JMM, RLD, RSP, AAP, IUML, RJD and Shiv Sena.

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MPs of the Trinamool Congress didn’t attend the meeting but joined the Opposition MPs in their protest near the Gandhi statue.

Raising slogans, opposition MPs held a banner that read “we demand JPC or SC monitored probe on Adani scandal”.

The Opposition parties have alleged that the recent meltdown in Adani Group shares is a scam that involves common people’s money as public sector LIC and SBI have invested in them.

Also read: Modi govt cannot run away from questions saying ‘Hum Adani ke hain kaun?’: Congress

The Adani group has maintained it complies with all laws and disclosure requirements.

(With inputs from agencies)