New Delhi [India], November 26 : The first day of the winter session of Parliament saw adjournments in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha over opposition demands including joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe on Adani issue even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hit out at members of Congress and other parties in INDIA bloc over disruptions in Parliament, stating that "such behaviour stifles the rights of new MPs".
The Prime Minister, in his customary remarks to the media before the start of the winter session of Parliament, said it is essential for Parliament to engage in healthy discussions where as many people as possible contribute.
"It is the winter session, and the atmosphere will also remain cool. We are in the final phase of 2024, and the country is enthusiastically preparing to welcome 2025 with great energy and excitement," PM Modi said.
He said the winter session of Parliament is special in many ways, with the most significant aspect being the 75-year journey of our Constitution, as it steps into its 75th year. This is a momentous occasion for democracy.
"We will collectively begin the celebration of the 75th year of our Constitution in the Constitution Hall. The Constitution framers debated every point in great detail while drafting the Constitution, resulting in this excellent document. A significant pillar of this is our Parliament and its members. It is essential for Parliament to engage in healthy discussions where as many people as possible contribute," he said.
"Unfortunately, some individuals rejected by the people are continuously attempting to control Parliament through disruptive tactics for their political gains. Their primary goal of halting parliamentary proceedings rarely succeeds, and the people take note of their actions, often punishing them when the time comes. The most troubling aspect, however, is that such behaviour stifles the rights of new MPs--those who bring fresh ideas and energy from all parties. These new members are often denied opportunities to speak in the House," he added
PM Modi said in a democratic tradition, every generation has the responsibility to prepare the next generations.
"But those who have been repeatedly rejected by the people --80, 90 times--neither allow discussions in Parliament nor respect democratic principles or the aspirations of the people. They don't realise their responsibility towards the people. As a result, they consistently fail to meet public expectations, leading to repeated rejection by the electorate," he said.
PM Modi said after the 2024 Parliamentary elections, the people of the country have had opportunities in their respective states to express their thoughts, views, and expectations.
"The results of these elections in the states have further strengthened the outcomes of the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, broadening the support base and increasing trust in democratic processes. In democracy, it is imperative for us to respect the sentiments of the people and work tirelessly to meet their hopes and expectations. I have repeatedly urged the Opposition, and some opposition members act very responsibly. They also desire smooth functioning of the House. However, those rejected by the people suppress even their colleagues' voices, disrespect their feelings, and undermine the spirit of democracy," he said.
"I hope our new members, from all parties, get opportunities. They bring fresh ideas and innovative visions to advance Bharat. Today, the world looks at Bharat with great hope. 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 on Monday said 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.
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 crores 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 USA have all the reocrds. Before this, 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 should be discussed in the House," he said.
The Congress said on Monday that it is firm on its demand for Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into allegations pertaining to Adani executives in the United States in alleged bribery case.
A meeting of Congress Parliamentary Strategy Group meeting 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 the Parliament.
He said Congress will continue to demand JPC into Adani issue. He said the party is keen to discuss Manipur situation, border agreement with China, "social polarisation" 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 the US agencies and the US courts. We will continue to demand JPC. We will continue a demand for 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 ANI.
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 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.