Parliament Budget Session | Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha adjourned for the day amid uproar over Adani-Hindenburg issue

Moments after resuming, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar adjourned the proceedings till February 3 till 11 a.m. amid uproar by Opposition.

Members of the Opposition entered the Well of the House, raising slogans against the Narendra Modi-led government after proceedings resumed at 2 p.m.

The Lok Sabha will reconvene at 11 a.m. on Friday.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are set to resume at 2 p.m. Earlier, both the Houses were adjourned during the Question Hour as Opposition demanded a discussion on the Adani issue.

U.S.-based short seller Hindenburg Research has hit back at Gujarat-based Adani Group and accused the conglomerate of “holding back India’s future”. Stocks of Adani Group tumbled last Wednesday after Hindenburg Research published a report titled “Adani Group: How The World’s 3rd Richest Man Is Pulling The Largest Con In Corporate History”, following a two-year investigation, and raised concerns about its “substantial debt”. The financial researcher and short seller also accused the conglomerate of stock manipulation and fraud over decades.

The Adani Group, however, has denied all charges and called the report malicious and full of lies, claiming it to be a “calculated attack on India”. In response, Hindenburg Research said that fraud cannot be “obfuscated by nationalism”.

Nine MPs, including Leader of the Opposition and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, Shiv Sena’s Priyanka Chaturvedi and Aam Aadmi Party’s Sanjay Singh, had given notices under rule 267 seeking suspension of regular business to discuss the Adani group stock route and its impact on millions of small investors as well as the hard earned savings of crores of Indians being endangered in loss of value of investments of LIC. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar rejected all the notices saying they were not in order. This infuriated the Opposition MPs who rose in their places to protest.

Mr. Dhankar called for order in the House but the MPs continued to raise their demands, which also included the constitution of a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to probe the entire fiasco. With the MPs not relenting, he adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm. No business was transacted. - PTI

• Members of the Opposition are seeking a Joint Parliament Committee or a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the Adani Group crisis.

• The Opposition has also demanded day-to-day reporting of the Joint Parliament Committee (JPC) or the SC-monitored probe into the issue which concerns public money.

Shiv Sena MP (Uddhav Thackeray faction) Priyanka Chaturvedi submitted Suspension of Business Notice in Rajya Sabha under Rule 267 to discuss the Adani vs. Hindenburg row. Speaking to the media, Ms. Chaturvedi said, “A significant amount of public money is locked in the Adani group through SBI and LIC. Therefore it is pertinent to discuss the matter in the House immediately.”

Speaking to the media, leaders of the Opposition sought debate and demanded an investigation into a report by the Hindenburg Research that accused the Adani Group.

“Either a Joint Parliamentary Committee or a team under the supervision of the CJI of the Supreme Court should investigate this,” the Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge said.

Speaking on Hindenburg Research’s report on the Adani Group, Congress MP Manish Tewari said the party will demand that a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) be constituted to probe the alleged aberrations. “The question is not only about one promoter but about the efficacy of the entire regulatory system,” Mr. Tewari said.

The Rajya Sabha started on a stormy note on Thursday as Opposition leaders resorted to sloganeering during the Question Hour. The House was adjourned till 2 p.m. Several Opposition MPs have submitted adjournment notices in Parliament, demanding a discussion over Adani vs. Hindenburg row.

The Lower House was adjourned till 2 p.m, minutes after it resumed proceedings on Thursday monring following uproar by Opposition leaders.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting with Union Ministers Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, Anurag Thakur, Nirmala Sitharaman, Pralhad Joshi, Piyush Goyal, Nitin Gadkari, Kiren Rijiju to discuss government strategy in Parliament, news agency ANI reported.

Members of Opposition parties met in the Parliament complex on Thursday morning to evolve a joint strategy to take on the government during the Budget session.

Several leaders of like-minded opposition parties met in the chamber of Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, to discuss issues that are likely to be raised during the session.

Later, MP Sanjay Raut told news agency ANI that the Opposition will raise the issue of the Hindenburg report and Adani stock crash in both Houses of Parliament.

Here is the list of business for the Rajya Sabha on February 2

1. Question Hour
2. The Motion of Thanks for the President’s address