Proceedings in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned over JPC probe on Adani issue

New Delhi: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi blasted members of the Congress and other INDIA bloc parties for disrupting Parliament on Monday, saying that “such behaviour stifles the rights of new MPs,” the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha adjourned on the first day of the winter session of Parliament due to opposition demands, including a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) investigation into the Adani issue.

In his usual media appearances before the commencement of the winter session of Parliament, the prime minister said that it is crucial that Parliament have constructive debates in which the greatest number of people may participate.

“The winter session has arrived, and the temperature will stay chilly. The nation is eagerly getting ready to embrace 2025 with tremendous vigor and joy as we approach the end of 2024,” PM Modi said.

The 75-year journey of our Constitution, which is entering its 75th year, is the most important factor, he added, making the winter session of Parliament unique in many respects. For democracy, this is a historic moment.

“In Constitution Hall, we shall all start the celebration of our Constitution’s 75th anniversary. During the Constitution’s development, the framers carefully considered each issue, producing this superb text. Our Parliament and its members are an important part of this. It is crucial that Parliament have constructive debates in which as many people as possible participate,” he said.

“Unfortunately, certain persons who have been rejected by the public are still trying to use disruptive techniques to acquire political control over Parliament. They seldom succeed in their main objective of stopping legislative proceedings because the public observes what they do and often punishes them when the time comes. The most concerning feature, however, is that this kind of behavior restricts the rights of new Members of Parliament—those who offer new perspectives and vitality from all sides. He said, “These new members are frequently denied the chance to speak in the House.”

According to PM Modi, it is the duty of each generation to train the next in a democratic heritage.

However, individuals who have been rejected by the public 80, 90 times or more do not respect democratic values or the will of the people, nor do they permit debates in Parliament. They are unaware of their obligation to the populace. Because of this, they often fall short of public expectations, which causes the electorate to reject them again,” he stated.

Following the 2024 parliamentary elections, PM Modi said that the people of the nation had the chance to voice their opinions, aspirations, and ideas in their own states.

“The outcomes of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections have been further reinforced by the outcomes of recent state elections, expanding the base of support and boosting confidence in democratic procedures. In democracy, it is imperative for us to respect the sentiments of the people and work tirelessly to meet their hopes and expectations. Some opposition members behave in a very responsible manner, as I have often advocated. They also want the house to run smoothly. However, those rejected by the people suppress even their colleagues’ voices, disrespect their feelings, and undermine the spirit of democracy,” he said.

“I hope chances are provided to our new members from all parties. They bring fresh ideas and innovative visions to advance Bharat. The world is quite hopeful about Bharat now. As Members of Parliament, we must use our time to further enhance Bharat’s global respect and attraction. Opportunities like the one Bharat has today are rare on the world stage,” he added

PM Modi said the message from the Parliament should reflect the voters’ dedication to democracy, their commitment to the Constitution, and their trust in parliamentary practices.

“We, as their representatives, must live up to these sentiments. It is time to reflect on the time we have lost so far and resolve to compensate by thoroughly debating various issues in the House.

Future generations will read and draw inspiration from these discussions. I hope this session will be highly productive, enhance the prestige of the Constitution’s 75th year, strengthen Bharat’s global stature, provide opportunities to new MPs, and welcome new ideas,” he said.

Hitting back at PM Modi’s criticism of the opposition for “disturbing” the house, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said on Monday that they wanted to discuss the Adani group’s alleged “bribery and fraud” case in Lok Sabha to save the country, not to disturb the house.

The Congress president alleged that public money was used to give bribery, and there are serious allegations of “corruption, bribery and financial irregularities.”

Addressing a press conference, Mallikarjun Kharge said, “In the Parliament, we wanted to raise the issue of Adani under Rule 267.

There are serious allegations of corruption, bribery and financial irregularities against the Adani Group. Gautam Adani’s indictment in an alleged “bribery and fraud” case is a serious issue. We wanted to discuss this issue in Lok Sabha. Around Rs 2030 crore bribery was given. Public’ money was used to give bribery.”

“We wanted to discuss this issue in the Parliament and present it before the Lok Sabha Speaker and ministers… The intelligence agencies of the USA have all the records. Before this, the Adani group was also involved in the stock foul… We also want to explain this to the Rajya Sabha Chairman, PM and other ministers. We would have put these issues before them…Wherever PM Modi goes, this group gets contracts. I have a very long list of places where PM Modi has gone and which contracts they have got at which places. We wanted this to be discussed in the House,” he said.

The Congress said on Monday that it is firm on its demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into allegations pertaining to Adani executives in the United States in an alleged bribery case.

A meeting of the Congress Parliamentary Strategy Group was held here, which was presided over by the Congress president and Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge and attended by Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi, KC Venugopal and other leaders.

Briefing reporters after the meeting, Congress general secretary in charge communications, Jairam Ramesh, said the JPC probe “was necessary” in view of the recent revelations made in the US.

He said various issues came up for discussion, which will be raised in both the Houses of Parliament.

He said Congress will continue to demand JPC into the Adani issue. He said the party is keen to discuss the Manipur situation, border agreement with China, “social polarization,” and pollution.

“We are not going to compromise. The need for a JPC has been further reinforced by the indictment that has been handed down by US agencies and the US courts. We will continue to demand JPC. We will continue to demand a discussion on Manipur and Nagaland. Many opposition parties want a discussion on free and fair elections, so there are a number of issues that we have discussed,” he told the media.

The Adani Group has denied the allegations made by the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the US Department of Justice and said it has always upheld and is steadfastly committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance, transparency and regulatory compliance across all jurisdictions of its operations. It had earlier denied the allegations in the Hindenburg report.

Congress MP Pramod Tiwari earlier accused the BJP-led central government of refusing to engage in discussions about the Adani issue, Sambhal violence and inflation.

“We are meeting today to make a strategy (for Parliament session). We had only demanded a discussion (in Parliament today) but the government has no intention to have a discussion.”

The winter session of Parliament commenced on Monday morning but faced early disruptions, leading to the adjournment of both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha for the day.

In the Rajya Sabha, proceedings were stalled as opposition MPs demanded a discussion on allegations of bribery involving the Gautam Adani group. The Upper House was initially adjourned until 11:45 am, but continued demands from opposition MPs for a discussion on the Adani issue led to its adjournment for the rest of the day.

In the Lok Sabha, proceedings began with Speaker Om Birla reading out obituary references before adjourning the session until noon. Shortly thereafter, the Chair adjourned the House for the day, with both houses scheduled to reconvene on Wednesday.