NEW DELHI: Both Houses of Parliament were adjourned for the fifth day in a row on Monday amid Opposition demand for discussion on the US indictment of Gautam Adani, violence in Sambhal, Manipur and other issues.
Though Congress MPs Gaurav Gogoi and K C Venugopal met Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla in the morning to discuss the Opposition demand for a two-day discussion on the Constitution, no consensus was reached.
Following this, the Opposition continued with their protests as soon as the LS met at 11am. Though the House reconvened at 12 noon after the first adjournment, opposition members rushed into the Well, raising slogans and demanding a discussion on their demands.
Amid din, the Coastal Shipping Bill, 2024, was introduced by Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal. BJP MP Sandhya Ray, who was in the Chair, later adjourned the House for the day as the MPs refused to budge.
In the Rajya Sabha, proceedings were marred by disruptions and ultimately adjourned for the day without conducting any business. Opposition parties sought to raise several issues, including allegations of bribery involving the Adani Group, Sambhal and Manipur.
The Upper House convened briefly in the morning but was adjourned almost immediately due to protests. When the session resumed at noon, opposition members reiterated demands for discussions on these topics. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar emphasised that no statements would be recorded unless decorum was maintained.
Despite his insistence on proceeding with the Question Hour, DMK leader Tiruchi Siva attempted to highlight additional concerns. Dhankhar responded that such discussions could only occur if order was restored. As protests continued, he adjourned the House for the day.
The winter session, which began on November 25, has seen no progress, with the first week entirely disrupted by similar protests.
Earlier, Dhankhar rejected 20 notices under Rule 267, which allows for suspending the day’s agenda to discuss urgent matters. Among these were eight notices seeking a debate on the Adani Group. However, the Adani Group has categorically denied the bribery allegations mentioned in the US indictment, calling them baseless and unsubstantiated.
Lower House seat allocation triggers buzz
The seat allocation for MPs in the Lok Sabha has drawn criticism from some Opposition members on Monday. According to an internal circular issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat on November 29, the first three seats in the front row of Treasury Benches will be reserved for PM Modi, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Home minister Amit Shah.
Speculations are rife on the one seat behind PM Modi, which has been kept vacant. The adjoining seats are allotted for Pralhad Joshi, Kiren Rijiju, Piyush Goyal, and Dharmendra Pradhan. Sources said SP is unhappy with the seat arrangement of Akhilesh Yadav. The Congress wanted Yadav’s seat near to LoP Rahul Gandhi. Meanwhile, five NDA allies, including LJP’s Chirag Paswan and JD(U), got the front row seats. While TMC leader Sudip Bandopadhyay will occupy the front row seat.