Both Houses of the Parliament have been adjourned for another day on Monday amid opposition and ruling party protests over various issues.
As the Lok Sabha proceedings resumed at 12 pm, Opposition leaders began their sloganeering, chanting “We want justice” in the House. The House was adjourned till 2 PM, then extended to 3 PM and later adjourned for the day.
Earlier, the house was adjourned till noon shortly after proceedings began, as opposition MPs raised various issues during the Question Hour.
Speaker Om Birla expressed his objection to the interruptions and adjourned the House till noon.
Prominent opposition leaders, including Congress MP Rahul Gandhi and party president Mallikarjun Kharge, are leading protests at the Parliament premises, demanding discussions on issues like Manipur violence, Adani bribery allegations and Sambhal violence.
They raised "Modi, Adani ek hain" and "we want justice" slogans.
The protest took place in front of the steps of Parliament's Makar Dwar and not on the steps leading to it following an advisory by the Lok Sabha Secretariat not to protest on the steps.
Notably, MPs of the Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party are not taking part in this protest.
Talking to ANI, Congress MP Kiran Kumar Chamala clarified that the Opposition is not attempting to hinder the functioning of the House.
“We are asking for a discussion on the Adani issue, Sambhal, and Manipur. The government never holds a discussion on the Adani issue. They are creating propaganda as if we are obstructing the House. It’s the BJP that does not want the House to function,” Chamala told ANI.
The Opposition’s persistent demand for a debate on the Adani matter has created a deadlock in Parliament. The ruling BJP has accused opposition parties of politicizing issues to stall legislative work.
Proceedings of Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day after members of the treasury benches accused top Congress leaders of colluding with billionaire investor George Soros to destabilise the country and demanded a discussion on the issue.
The Upper House witnessed three adjournments, including two during the pre-lunch session.
Soon after a brief first adjournment during Zero Hour, Leader of the House J P Nadda said BJP members were agitated over an issue that involved Congress leaders and wanted a discussion.
"The link between Forum of Democratic Leaders in the Asia-Pacific (FDL-AP) and George Soros is a matter of concern. Its co-president is a member of this House," he said.
Nadda alleged the FDL-AP sees Jammu and Kashmir as a "separate entity" and gets financial support from the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.
As Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar sought to know why the ruling party members were protesting, many BJP MPs alleged that the top Congress leadership has links with Soros.
They demanded that the issue be discussed in the House as it is connected to national security.
Several MPs of the BJP and NDA allies raised the issue and demanded an immediate discussion on it while Congress members claimed this was being done to divert attention from the Adani issue.
Leader of the Opposition (LoP) Mallikarjun Kharge and other Congress leaders like Jairam Ramesh and Pramod Tiwari asked how the chairman was allowing the ruling party members to raise the issue when he had rejected their notices in this regard.
"It is wrong to raise the issue like this and damage the image of a member, who is not in the House," Kharge said.
He also read out rules whereby any member cannot raise such an issue against another member, following which the chairman asked which member he was referring to.
"We did not expect this from you," Congress' Digvijaya Singh told the Chair.
Congress' Pramod Tiwari alleged the ruling party MPs were siding with Adani and disturbing the House for him.
"The BJP is doing all this to protect Adani," he said.
BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi said if the LoP was referring to another member, it becomes clear that the reports of involvement of a member are true, as the ruling party has not named anyone.
On the BJP's allegations about former Congress president Sonia Gandhi's links to an organisation financed by Soros, party MP Ghanshyam Tiwari said it is very bad for the country and its unity.
"We want that there should be a discussion on the issue as it is linked to the issue of national security," he said.
Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya of the CPI(M) said if the treasury benches raise the issue, "then it is their failure".
"Why can't the prime minister come and make a statement... This is an accusation to protect (hide) their failure. Total disruption to protect their failure," he said.
John Brittas of the CPI (M) said, "Let there be a discussion on George Soros and Adani together on the floor of the House."
CPI's Sandosh Kumar P said, "This is a calculated move to save Adani, to divert attention."
Amid the din, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar said the House was not in order and adjourned it till 3 pm.
Earlier, BJP's Laxmikant Bajpayee was given the floor to raise his Zero Hour mention and he started speaking on the issue of national security.
Congress' Jairam Ramesh objected to his remarks, saying when the Chair has rejected notices under Rule 267, then the issues mentioned therein should not be allowed to be raised.
"This is most unfair. You have rejected the notice, all notices... He is raising an issue which you have rejected. And it is very clear, this is all part of a game plan to raise this issue and have this entire House adjourned. Sir, please don't be party to this," Ramesh said.
Earlier, Dhankhar said he has rejected all 11 notices received under Rule 267 seeking to set aside business of the day to take up the issue being raised in the notices.
Five MPs of the BJP and its allies -- BJP's Sudhanshu Trivedi, Kavita Patidar and Laxmikant Bajpai, G K Vasan of Tamil Maanila Congress, and JDU's Sanjay Kumar Jha -- gave notices under Rule 267.