Opposition Stands Firm on Adani, Sambhal Issues, Crippling Parliament Proceedings

On Wednesday, Opposition demands for a discussion on issues like the US bribery charges against the Adani Group and the violence in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal led to a complete disruption of Parliamentary proceedings.

In the Lok Sabha, the session was adjourned for the day after Opposition members stormed the Well of the House and began raising slogans when the House reconvened at noon. The proceedings were interrupted earlier as well, with Speaker Om Birla attempting to conduct the Question Hour at 11 am. However, due to the continued protests, the House was adjourned shortly after.

The Opposition was seeking a discussion on the Adani controversy and the recent incidents of violence in Sambhal. Similarly, in the Rajya Sabha, protests from the Opposition led to an adjournment for the day. The House was briefly suspended in the morning, and when it reconvened at 11:30 am, the protests resumed, prompting Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar to adjourn the session, declaring that the "House is not in order."

The protests stemmed from Dhankhar’s rejection of 18 notices under a particular House rule. The notices demanded the establishment of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to investigate the Adani Group's alleged corruption, bribery, and financial misconduct, as well as the violence in Sambhal and growing crime in Delhi.

"I have outlined my reasons in detail for not accepting these notices. It is crucial for the Upper House to respect well-established procedures and traditions," Dhankhar stated in his explanation for rejecting the notices under Rule 267.

On Monday, similar disruptions occurred in Parliament when the Opposition insisted on discussing the Adani issue, and the session was not held on Tuesday.

In response to the bribery allegations, the Adani Group issued a statement on Wednesday, clarifying that neither Gautam Adani nor his nephew Sagar had been charged with violating the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) in the indictment filed in a New York court. The Group emphasized that the charges only involved alleged violations subject to penalties, not criminal conduct.

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