On Monday, the Rajya Sabha returned the Finance Bill 2023 with an amendment, as well as the Jammu and Kashmir Budget 2023-24 and appropriation bills, to the Lok Sabha without discussion. It then adjourned for the day amid opposition uproar over the Adani issue.
After the Rajya Sabha reassembled at 2 pm, having been adjourned in the pre-lunch session, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar began the process of returning the bills amid din. The House first returned the Jammu and Kashmir Budget and later the appropriation bills and the Finance Bill 2023.
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While moving the Finance Bill for discussion, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman moved an amendment to correct the rates of Securities Transaction Tax in the bill that was passed by the Lok Sabha last week.
However, opposition MPs continued to disrupt the House demanding a discussion on the Adani issue and a joint parliamentary committee probe into the matter, despite Dhankhar inviting members for discussion.
Later the bills were approved to be returned to Lok Sabha by voice vote without discussion. Lok Sabha too had approved these bills last week without discussion amid continuous disruption of the House.
In the pre-lunch session, opposition MPs, wearing black clothes to protest Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s disqualification from Lok Sabha, created a ruckus over the Adani issue.
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MPs of the Congress and other opposition parties began shouting slogans even before Chairman Dhankhar took his seat. Sensing the mood, he adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.
“Modi-Adani bhai, bhai,” members of opposition parties shouted. They also raised slogans demanding the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into allegations of corporate fraud and stock price manipulations against the Adani Group. However, the Adani Group has denied all charges.
Chairman Dhankhar lamented that members did not avail of the 10 hours that had been allocated for discussion on the bills. He then adjourned Rajya Sabha for the day.
With agency inputs.
