Parl adjourned till 2 pm amid Opposition protest over Adani row

NEW DELHI: Both houses of the Parliament were on Monday adjourned till 2 pm amid heavy sloganeering by Opposition MPs demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani issue. Earlier in the day, Opposition MPs gathered at the Gandhi statue at the Parliament premises, to stage a protest. Discussion on Motion of Thanks to the President's Address is scheduled to be taken up in both houses today.

This comes after the Budget Session was adjourned for two days till today after repeated disruptions following ruckus inside the Parliament with the Opposition demanding a debate on the US short-seller Hindenburg Research's report against the Adani Group and a probe by a JPC. The opposition parties have sought discussion over investment by LIC, Public Sector Banks, and financial institutions "in companies losing market value, endangering the savings of crores of Indians" following a report by the US firm Hindenburg Research.

A January 24 report by Hindenburg Research alleged that the Adani Group had weak business fundamentals, and was involved in stock manipulation and accounting fraud, among others. The report triggered a sell-off of shares of Adani Group companies. Meanwhile, Congress will launch a countrywide protest in front of Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) offices and State Bank of India (SBI) branches today to protest against the alleged Adani scam.

The first half of the Budget session will continue till February 13 and the second half will be held from March 13 to April 6. The budget session began with the address by President Droupadi Murmu to the joint sitting of the two Houses of Parliament. Union Budget was presented on February 1.