The Lok Sabha budget session came to an end as scheduled on Thursday, with the Lower House being adjourned sine die (for an indefinite period) as Opposition leaders kept up their protests demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe in the Adani-Hindenburg row. The second leg of the Budget Session, which began on March 13, was scheduled to end on April 6.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several ministers, including Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, were present in the lower House.
As soon as the House met for the day, Opposition members stormed the well of the House and started raising slogans. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said that behaviour of opposition members had lowered the dignity of the House and they had “systematically” disrupted proceedings. Despite repeated pleas, the members went on with their protests in the House.
After completing his customary valedictory speech, Birla announced that the House was adjourned sine die.
Since the Budget Session began on March 13, the Lok Sabha has seen repeated adjournments due to protests by the treasury benches, who demanded an apology from Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his “democracy under attack” remarks in London, and Opposition benches demanding JPC probe against the Adani Group.
Rahul Gandhi was also disqualified from the Lok Sabha during the Budget session following his conviction by a Surat court in a 2019 defamation case.
Meanwhile, several Opposition parties, including the Congress, took out a ‘Tricolour March’ from Parliament House to Vijay Chowk on Thursday, alleging that “democracy is under attack” by the BJP. A total of 13 parties, including the Congress, will skip the “Evening Tea” meeting hosted by the Speaker on the last day of the Parliament.
Further, the Rajya Sabha was also adjourned till 2 PM after Opposition members demanded a JPC investigation.