The Lok Sabha was adjourned for the day on Monday amid protests by opposition members over several issues, including the indictment of industrialist Gautam Adani in a US court on bribery charges and recent violence in Sambhal, Uttar Pradesh.

As the House reconvened at 12 noon after the first adjournment, opposition members rushed into the Well, raising slogans and demanding a discussion on the Adani case and the violence in Sambhal. While some members gathered in the Well, others stood in the aisles, continuing their protests.

Amid the disruption, the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024, was introduced by Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal. BJP MP Sandhya Ray, who was in the Chair, appealed to the protesting members to allow the House to function, stressing that the issues of voters should be addressed. However, the opposition members remained unyielding, and Ray eventually adjourned the House for the day.

Also Read

Earlier, when the House convened at 11 am, opposition members had entered the Well, demanding a discussion on their issues. Speaker Om Birla urged them to allow the Question Hour and assured that their concerns would be addressed later. Despite this, only one question was taken up before the House was adjourned until noon.

The Lok Sabha had also been disrupted last week due to similar protests over these issues. Before the session, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju was seen speaking with Congress leader K C Venugopal, with Congress MP Gaurav Gogoi and DMK leader T R Baalu also present.

The Adani Group has denied the allegations, asserting that Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani have not been charged with any violations under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in the bribery case filed by US authorities in a New York court.

Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Monday without any business being transacted as opposition parties raised issues, including allegations of bribery against the Adani group, recent violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal district, and the ongoing unrest in Manipur.

The Upper House was first adjourned shortly after it convened and then adjourned for the day due to continued protests by opposition members. When the House reconvened at noon, opposition members raised concerns about the Adani bribery allegations and the violence in Sambhal and Manipur. However, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar refused to allow these issues to go on record and insisted that decorum be maintained.

As DMK’s Tiruchi Siva sought to raise certain issues, Chairman Dhankhar indicated he would allow them only after members returned to their seats. Despite the chairman’s requests, opposition members continued their protests, leading to the adjournment of the House for the day.

The Rajya Sabha has been unable to conduct any significant business since the beginning of the session on November 25. The first week of the session was also disrupted due to similar protests.

Earlier in the day, the chairman disallowed 20 notices under Rule 267, including eight seeking a discussion on the US indictment of the Adani group for allegedly paying USD 265 million in bribes to secure solar power contracts. Dhankhar remarked that the repeated adjournments seemed to follow Murphy’s Law, which suggests that “anything that can go wrong will go wrong,” and urged opposition members to allow the House to proceed with its agenda.

In response, opposition MPs, including those from Congress and the Samajwadi Party, insisted on raising their concerns, prompting the chairman to adjourn the session until noon. Other issues raised in notices under Rule 267 included law and order concerns in Sambhal, the ongoing violence in Manipur, rising crimes in Delhi, atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh, and the need for special assistance to flood-hit Wayanad in Kerala.