LS, RS face adjournments for second day over Hindenburg-Adani row; Dhankar says those who came near podium will be ‘dealt with’

New Delhi [India], February 4 (ANI): Opposition parties forced adjournments in both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha over the Hindenburg-Adani group row for the second day on Friday with the presiding officers urging members to take up debate on the motion of thanks to the President’s address. Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha faced first adjournment soon after the two Houses met for the day with opposition members raising their demands. While Lok Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm, the Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2.30 pm before the two Houses were adjourned to meet on Monday.

In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankar cautioned members saying those who have come to the Well of the House “will be dealt with”. “The House stands adjourned (for the day) with a caution note, those who have come in the Well of the House, violating the regime applicable here, will be dealt with. “I share the distress and anguish of millions of people at the kind of lack of decorum that we are exhibiting here. People expect us to deliberate, and I expect members to abide by the long-standing tradition, a sense of parliamentary practice, to go by the decision of the Chair. You have done your job. You have brought issues to my notice and I have given my ruling. It is unfortunate that public money comes to be so squandered,” he said.

The opposition parties have sought a Joint Parliamentary Committee over the Hidenburg-Adani row.
They have sought discussion over investment by LIC, Public Sector Banks, and financial institutions “in companies losing market value, endangering the savings of crores of Indians” following a report by a US-based short seller Hidenburg Research which has made allegations against some companies of Adani group. Lok Sabha briefly took up the question hour when it met for the day but opposition members continued their protest.

Speaker Om Birla urged members to allow the House to function. He said the House has to take up the motion of thanks on the President’s address and the oppositon members should not cause disruptions. The first half of budget session will continue till February 13 and the second half will be held from March 13 to April 6. The budget session began with the address by President Droupadi Murmu to the joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament. Union Budget was presented on February 1.

Union Minister of State for Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal lashed out at the Opposition over stalling the two Houses and said they do not want to let the Parliament function. “Yesterday also, Parliamentary Affairs Minister said that we have come to speak on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address. You can speak anything while having a discussion. They perhaps do not want to let the House function. We request them to let the House function,” he said.

Several members had given notices for suspension of business to discuss Hindenburg-Adani row.
Opposition parties held a meeting in the Parliament earlier in the day to deliberate their strategy.
The government’s agenda for next week includes discussion on motion of thanks to the President’s address and discussion on the union budget. (ANI)