RS proceedings adjourned for two days after oppn tries to raise Adani bribery issue

Rajya Sabha proceedings were adjourned for the day on Nov 25 as opposition parties led by the Congress tried to raise the issue of the indictment of Adani group founder chairman Gautam Adani and others in a US court on charges of paying bribes to secure solar power supply contracts.

The House will meet again on Nov 27. There will be no sitting of Parliament on Nov 26 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Constituent Assembly's adoption of the Constitution in 1949.

Earlier, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar disallowed 13 notices served under rule 267, including seven that sought a discussion on the US indictment on the alleged payment of USD 265 million in bribes. But the Congress and Left parties insisted on a discussion, forcing a 15-minute adjournment of proceedings.

Soon after listed papers were laid on the table of the House and obituary references read out on the death of former MPs, Dhankhar said he had received 13 notices under rule 267 but was not convinced to accept them.

Leader of the Opposition and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who was among the seven that sought a discussion on the Adani bribery issue, said if the listed business is suspended, the opposition parties can explain how the "very important" issue was impacting the entire country.

The image of the country has been tarnished globally and yet Prime Minister Narendra Modi was supporting Adani, he alleged.

At this point, Dhankhar ordered that nothing that Kharge says will go on record.

But as the opposition parties persisted, he adjourned the proceedings for 15 minutes.

When the House re-assembled at 11.45 am, the chairman said he has the highest respect for the members of the House and urged them to allow him to continue with the scheduled business.

However, some opposition members were heard raising certain matters.

The chairman then adjourned the proceedings of the House for the day.

The other notices under rule 267, which calls for suspending the listed business of the House to take up discussion on the issue being sought to be raised, pertained to continued violence in Manipur, violent clashes in UP's Sambhal district and special assistance to the flood-hit Wayanad district of Kerala.

The Adani group has denied all charges in the US indictment, calling them baseless.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Nov 25 slammed the opposition, saying those who were rejected by people 80-90 times were trying to control Parliament by resorting to hooliganism for their own political gains.

Addressing reporters ahead of the start of the winter session of Parliament, Modi said such handful of people did not succeed in their intentions but people of the country observed their actions and punished them at an appropriate time.

Modi's remarks came days after the BJP-led coalition won the Maharashtra Assembly elections by a landslide, bagging 235 seats and relegating the opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi to a distant 49 seats in the 288-member House.

Earlier, the BJP registered a surprise third consecutive victory in the Haryana polls, trouncing the Congress, which was billed as a pre-poll favorite.

"There should be a healthy debate in the Parliament but, unfortunately, certain individuals are trying to control Parliament for their own political gains, resorting to disruptions and chaos," Modi said.

"Though their tactics ultimately fail, the people watch their behavior closely and deliver justice when the time comes," he added.

Modi said he had been repeatedly urging opposition colleagues, and some also agreed that Parliament should function smoothly.

"But those who have been continuously rejected by the public ignore the words of their colleagues and disrespect their sentiments and that of democracy," the prime minister said.

The winter session of Parliament began on Nov 25 and is scheduled to continue till Dec 20.

(PTI)