Both Houses of Parliament Adjourned Amid Uproar Over Adani Issue
Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned without conducting any significant business on Monday due to disruptions caused by opposition members.
New Delhi: Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned without conducting any significant business on Monday due to disruptions caused by opposition members. The uproar centered on various issues, most notably the recent indictment of Gautam Adani, founder and chairman of the Adani Group, in a U.S. court over allegations of bribery to secure solar power supply contracts.
The Houses will reconvene on Wednesday, November 27, as there will be no sitting on Tuesday to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Constituent Assembly’s adoption of India’s Constitution in 1949.
The tension began when Chairman of the Rajya Sabha, Jagdeep Dhankhar, disallowed 13 notices under Rule 267, which includes requests for urgent discussions on the U.S. indictment of Adani Group officials, who are accused of paying bribes amounting to USD 265 million. Seven of these notices, filed by Congress and Left parties, specifically sought a discussion on the charges.
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As the opposition parties insisted on addressing the issue, proceedings were adjourned for 15 minutes. Following the adjournment, Dhankhar stated that he had received the notices but was not convinced to allow a discussion on the matter. Leader of the Opposition and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, one of the members who sought the discussion, argued that the issue was crucial to the nation’s image and that it warranted immediate attention. He also criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly supporting Adani amid the allegations, claiming that the country’s global image had been tarnished.
In response, Dhankhar ordered that Kharge’s remarks would not be recorded in the official records. However, as opposition members continued to protest, the proceedings were adjourned for the day.
Other notices under Rule 267 sought discussions on various national issues, including ongoing violence in Manipur, clashes in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district, and flood assistance for Wayanad in Kerala. Despite the ongoing disruptions, the Adani Group has denied all charges related to the U.S. indictment, labeling them as baseless.
The adjournment comes after a tumultuous session that highlighted growing opposition frustration over the government’s handling of several key issues. With Parliament adjourned for the day and no sitting scheduled on Tuesday, all eyes will be on Wednesday’s session to see if the opposition is allowed to raise the Adani issue or if further disruptions occur.
