Parliament is North Star of democracy, not a place of disturbance: RS Chairman Dhankhar

New Delhi [India], February 3 (ANI): As the Opposition created a ruckus in Parliament demanding a probe into the tanking of Adani Group company’s shares, which led to a fall in the stock market, Vice President and Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday said Parliament is a place of discussion and not a place of disturbance.

Addressing the members, the Rajya Sabha chairman said, “Parliament is the essence of democracy. Parliament is the North Star of democracy. It is a place of discussion and deliberation to realise the aspiration and dreams of the people and not a place of disturbance. We are required to work in accordance with the rules.” Proceedings of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned on Friday due to opposition parties reiterating their demand for a joint parliamentary committee probe into the tanking of Adani Group company shares that have led to a stock market rout. The Parliament was also adjourned in a similar manner on Thursday due to which no discussions could be held.

When the Rajya Sabha assembled for the day, Jagdeep Dhankhar urged members to let the House continue with its designated business. However, as Opposition members raised slogans, he adjourned the proceedings for the day. In Lok Sabha, too Opposition members demanded a discussion but Speaker Om Birla disallowed it saying the House is to take up the important discussion on Presidential Address. As the Opposition protest continued, the House was adjourned for the day.

Union Minister of State for Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal on Friday lashed out at the Opposition over the repeated stalling of the Houses and said the parties do not want to let the Parliament function. Reacting sharply to the allegations by the Opposition, which jointly demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Hindenburg report against the Adani Group, Meghwal said that the parties can speak about anything during the discussion in the Parliament.

“Yesterday also, Parliamentary Affairs Minister said that we have come to speak on the Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address. You can speak anything while having a discussion. They perhaps do not want to let the House function. We request them to let the House function,” he said.
Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi denied having any connection between the government and the Adani stock row.

“There is absolutely no connection with it. Discussion on the President’s Address is the priority. They have no issue,” he said. A number of Opposition leaders including Rajya Sabha Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, DMK Rajya Sabha MP Tiruchi Siva, Congress MP Pramod Tiwari, BRS MP K Keshava Rao, Shiv Sena MP (Uddhav Thackeray faction) Priyanka Chaturvedi, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Dr Syed Naseer Hussain, and CPI(M) MP Elamaram Kareem gave suspension of Business notice to their respective Houses to hold a discussion on the allegations levelled by US-based Hindenburg Research against Adani Group.

Prior to the day’s session, Opposition parties held a meeting in the Parliament today.
Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh described the Adani stock row as “corruption” and alleged that it is the corruption of the Narendra Modi government.

“I have given a notice under Rule 267 today also, and we demand the constitution of a JPC or a Supreme Court-monitored time-bound inquiry of the matter. It is not the corruption of Adani alone, it is the corruption of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government. Adani has the protection of PM Modi,” Singh alleged.

Mallikarjun Kharge, ahead of the joint meeting of Opposition parties said, “We have called the meeting of the Opposition party. We will discuss the steps to be taken further. We give notices according to the rules.”

Yesterday, both houses of Parliament were adjourned for the day after the Opposition created a ruckus and demanded a discussion on the Hindenburg report on the Adani conglomerate.
The Opposition leaders on Thursday had demanded a discussion on the Hindenburg report against Adani Enterprises while also seeking the constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into the alleged aberrations.