Winter session: Houses adjourned amid ruckus over Adani bribery case

Oppn demands JPC probe; BJP terms it 'retaliation' tactic

The winter session of Parliament got off to a rocky start on Monday with both Houses adjourned without transacting any business as the opposition parties demanded a joint parliamentary committee probe into the Adani “bribery” issue, and discussions on fresh violence in Manipur and Delhi’s air pollution.

 

Members also criticised the Uttar Pradesh government’s handling of the situation in Sambhal, where three people were killed and two dozen security personnel and officials injured on Sunday.

 

After the adjournment of two Houses in the afternoon, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, the leader of the opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said the government should “let the truth come out” in the Adani issue.

 

He said he was dismayed that the opposition was not allowed to raise under Rule 267 the issue of corruption allegations against the Adani group. Under Rule 267, the listed business for the day can be suspended to debate an urgent matter with the Chair's approval.

 

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Monday disallowed 13 notices served under the rule, including seven that sought a discussion on the US charges against industrialist Gautam Adani and others on the alleged payment of $265 million in bribes. Similar notices were rejected in the Lok Sabha.

 

In a video message posted on X, Kharge said, "Wherever Modi ji goes, whichever country he visits, Adani gets contracts there, which is a very long list. That is why we wanted this to be discussed dispassionately in the House."

 

Kharge claimed that the Adani group bagged a power project in Bangladesh when Modi visited the country in June 2015.

"Adani got projects wherever Modi ji went, be it Malaysia, Israel, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Tanzania, Vietnam, Greece, among others. Kenya has just cancelled the contract under public pressure. Which country will choose only Adani without the blessings of Modiji? There are so many reputed investors in India, but they are not chosen. All this is happening with Modiji's support, it is affecting the country. We wanted to raise this issue, but were not allowed," Kharge said.

 

In its response, the BJP accused the Opposition of stalling Parliament’s proceedings in "retaliation" to their defeats in the Maharashtra Assembly election and bypolls in other states.

 

“If you are frustrated over your defeats (in just concluded Maharashtra assembly polls and bypolls in various states), will you retaliate by not letting Parliament function? This is not right,” BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters in Parliament complex.

 

Earlier in the day, in his remarks to the media before the start of the session, Prime Minister Modi slammed the Opposition, saying those rejected by people 80-90 times were trying to control Parliament by resorting to hooliganism for their own political gains.

 

The prime minister is set to address a joint sitting of Parliament on Samvidhan Divas, which will mark the 75th year of the adoption of the Constitution. "This is a momentous occasion for democracy. Tomorrow (Tuesday), we will collectively begin the celebration of the 75th year of our Constitution in the Samvidhan Sadan,” he said.

 

In another development, Opposition members of the Joint Committee on the Waqf Amendment Bill met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla with a complaint against panel chairman Jagadambika Pal, accusing him of bulldozing the proceedings on the crucial matter. They also sought an extension of the tenure of the committee by a "reasonable time" to allow substantive deliberations on the expansive legislation.