Parliament Budget Session Updates | Both houses adjourned for 2nd day as demand for probe into Adani group continues

Rajya Sabha speaker Jagdeep Dhankar adjourned the Upper House for the day moments after the session resumed to loud protests from opposition MPs. The House will meet at 11 am on February 6.

As he ended proceedings Mr. Dhankar added a word of caution that any member of the House that enters the well, “violating the regime applicable” would be “dealt with”.

The Lower House was adjourned for the day minutes after it resumed proceedings on Friday following uproar by Opposition leaders.

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

As the proceedings resumed in the Lok Sabha, Opposition members on Friday resorted to sloganeering against the Narendra Modi-led government and chanted “we want JPC”.

Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha are set to resume at 2 p.m. Earlier, both the Houses were adjourned during the Question Hour amid calls by the Opposition for a discussion and an investigation into allegations of fraud against the Adani Group that triggered an unprecedented stock crash.

Even on the fourth day of Parliament Budget Session, proceedings continue to get interrupted due to protests by Opposition demanding a discussion on the Adani Group.

Meanwhile, companies of Adani Group saw their share prices extend declines on Friday after the U.S .short-seller Hindenburg Report. In an extra blow, S&P Dow Jones Indice announed on Thursday that Adani Enterprises shares will be removed from the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices following a ‘media and stakeholder analysis’ triggered by the allegations of stock manipulation and accounting fraud.

“Adani Enterprises (XBOM: 512599) will be removed from the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices following a Media & Stakeholder Analysis triggered by allegations of stock manipulation and accounting fraud,” S&P Dow Jones Indices said in a statement.

Congress has issued a three-line whip to its Lok Sabha MPs to remain present in the House on Friday. Kodikunnil Suresh, MP, Chief Whip, CPP, Lok Sabha issued the whip.

“Be present positively in Lok Sabha from 1:45 p.m. onwards till the adjournment of the House today, i.e. February 3, 2023, and support the party stand, as some important issues will be taken up in the House,” the whip said.

This comes after both Houses were adjourned soon after the commencement of the day’s session today. - ANI

A united Opposition, led by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, earlier met on Friday morning to coordinate their strategy in Parliament, demanding an immediate discussion and a probe into the allegations against the Adani Group.

“The money of the people of the country invested in LIC-SBI is sinking. The Opposition wants to raise the voice of the public in the House, wants to discuss their concerns. But PM Modi is running away from discussion, saving his friend,” the Congress tweeted.

Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said, “Today too Modi Sarkar got both Houses adjourned just a few minutes after 11 am till 2:30pm, fearing Opposition’s demand for a JPC over the Adani mega scam patronized by the highest levels of power.”

The group’s stocks and Mr. Adani’s personal wealth have taken a plunge after U.S. short-seller Hindenburg Research published a damaging report on January 24 alleging the Ahemadabad-based conglomerate’s involvement in “brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud” over the decades, also flagging its “substantial debt”. Read more

A day earlier, on February 2, the Parliament had failed to function in the face of persistent demands by the Opposition for a debate on the high exposure of public financial institutions – mainly the State Bank of India (SBI) and the Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) -- to the Adani group, and the impact on them following the Hindenburg report alleging round-tripping of money by the group.

The Congress has demanded investigations into the issue, either led by a Joint Parliamentary Committee or by the Chief Justice of India. “Keeping public interest in mind, we want a thorough probe into the Adani issue either by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) or a Supreme Court-monitored panel. There should also be day-to-day reporting of the investigation on the issue,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge told reporters.

Proceedings in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned as ruckus erupted again on Friday over the Adani-Hindeburg row. The Lok Sabha will resume at 2 p.m.

Proceedings lasted a mere eight minutes before Jagdeep Dhankhar adjourned the House for the first half of the day. He said that he received 15 notices for consideration under Rule 267 (suspension of day’s business to debate the issue suggested by a Member) but could not allow them as they “do not fulfil the requirements of the rule”.

“Parliament is the essence and the North Star of democracy. It is a place of discussion and deliberation to realise the aspirations and dreams of the people and not a place of disturbance,” he said.

Leaders of several opposition parties on Friday submitted adjournment notices in both houses of Parliament demanding an immediate discussion on the Adani Group issue and also the border situation with China.

Prominent among those MPs who have given adjournment notices, include Congress chief Whip in Rajya Sabha Naseer Hussain and party’s Whip in Lok Sabha Manickam Tagore.

Besides, BRS leader K Keshava Rao and Shiv Sena leader Priyanka Chaturvedi have also given notices under Rule 267 on the same issue.

Rule 267 allows for suspension of the day’s business to debate issue suggested by member.

Congress MPs in Rajya Sabha Amee Yajnik, Pramod Tiwari, Kumar Ketkar and Neeraj Dangi have also given similar notices on the issue under Rule 267.

“...This House do suspend the Zero Hour and relevant rules related to Question Hour and other businesses of the day to discuss the issue of fraud in investment by LIC, SBI, public sector banks and other financial institutions losing market value, endangering the hard-earned savings of crores of Indians,” said Mr. Hussain in his notice.

“The report exposes the dangers to which the Indian people and economy are subjected to and merit immediate discussion, adjourning today’s list of business in the House,” Mr. Rao said in his notice.- PTI

Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Friday arrived in the Parliament to brief the Members of Parliaments (MPs) of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on the Union Budget 2023-24 presented in the Parliament earlier this week.All Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs of the party are expected to be present in the meeting, being held ahead of today’s Parliament Session.- ANI

Opposition parties will meet Friday morning to coordinate their strategy in Parliament, a day after they unitedly led the charge against the government over the issue of the Adani Group stock rout.

Various opposition parties on Thursday stalled both houses of Parliament over the Adani issue and demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe or a Supreme Court-monitored Committee investigation into it.

“Floor leaders of Opposition parties will meet at 10 am in the chamber of Leader of Opposition (in Rajya Sabha) Mallikarjun Kharge in Parliament House to coordinate strategy,” said Congress general secretary Communications Jairam Ramesh.

“The demand remains the same. Only an independent investigation will save LIC, SBI and other institutions forced by the Prime Minister to invest in the Adani Group,” he said.- PTI

Here is the list of agenda for Rajya Sabha today:

1. Question Hour

2. Papers to be laid on the Table of the House

3. Private Members’ Legislative Business