Lok Sabha was adjourned till March 9 amid sustained protests by Opposition MPs, who raised slogans and disrupted proceedings in the lower house while demanding the resignation of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri in the Parliament complex.
Earlier today, the lower house was adjourned till noon on the last day of the first phase of the Budget session, as Opposition members staged a protest in the Parliament complex over the alleged disclosure of emails between Puri and Jeffrey Epstein. The Opposition insisted that the minister step down pending a thorough explanation.
Puri had on Wednesday slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for "passing innuendo" against him, asserting that he had met Jeffery Epstein on a "few occasions" but his interactions with him had nothing to do with the crimes the convicted American sex offender was involved in.
Amid the uproar, the Congress also responded sharply to a substantive motion moved by BJP MP Nishikant Dubey against Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi.
The House also observed a minute of silence to pay respect to former Haridwar MP Bhagwandas Rathore, who passed away recently.
Addressing reporters after a Congress Parliamentary Party meeting, MP Hibi Eden said the party would not be intimidated and would continue to raise issues related to farmers and India’s trade negotiations, including the India-US trade deal.
(With inputs from PTI)