NEW DELHI, Nov 25: Both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned on Monday, amid disruptions by opposition members over a range of issues, most prominently the allegations of bribery against Adani Group founder Gautam Adani.

In the Lok Sabha, the House was adjourned after opposition MPs raised slogans demanding a probe into the violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal and sought discussions on the alleged bribery charges against Adani in a US court. The protests led to the Chair, BJP member Sandhya Ray, adjourning the proceedings till Wednesday. Earlier, the House had been adjourned until noon after paying tributes to departed members, including two MPs who had won the parliamentary elections this year.

The Rajya Sabha also faced disruptions, with opposition parties, especially Congress, attempting to raise the issue of Adani’s indictment in the US on charges of paying bribes to secure solar power contracts. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar disallowed 13 notices under Rule 267, including seven demanding a discussion on the bribery charges. Despite this, opposition parties, including Congress and Left parties, insisted on a debate, which led to a 15-minute adjournment of the House. When proceedings resumed, some opposition members continued to raise the issue, prompting the Chair to adjourn the session for the day.

The opposition’s demands were centered around allegations that the Adani Group paid $265 million in bribes, as indicated by the US indictment. The opposition also sought discussions on violence in Manipur, Sambhal, and flood relief for Wayanad district in Kerala. The Adani Group has denied the charges, calling them baseless.

In response to the adjournments, Congress leaders strongly criticized the government for stifling debate on the Adani issue. Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh said that the INDIA alliance parties were demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani “scam,” which had been reinforced by recent indictments. He accused the government of being “scared” to discuss the matter.

Congress leader KC Venugopal echoed these sentiments, accusing the government of avoiding any discussion on the issue and stating that the opposition would continue to raise the matter. Pramod Tiwari, Deputy Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, said that despite the opposition’s push for a discussion, the government had refused to take up the matter, revealing its reluctance to address the bribery allegations.

The recent US indictment against Gautam Adani, which charges him with bribery and fraud, has provided the opposition with fresh ammunition to demand further scrutiny of the Adani Group’s dealings. The Congress has reiterated its call for the immediate arrest of Adani, while opposition parties seek a thorough investigation through a JPC.

Parliament will remain adjourned on Tuesday, November 26, for a special event marking the 75th anniversary of the adoption of the Constitution. Both Houses will reconvene on Wednesday, November 27.