Logjam continues; Rajya Sabha faced 15th adjournment for the 8th day in a row

The House of Elders faced adjournment for the day within a minute after it assembled at 2 pm following the first adjournment announced earlier in the day. This was the 15th adjournment of the House since the second leg of the Budget Session convened.

The tussle between the BJP and the Opposition MPs continued over Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's democracy in India remarks in London and Adani issue.

The ruling BJP members sought an apology from Wayanad MP over his democracy in India remarks in London and criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Meanwhile, Congress leaders also raised objections and they also started speaking against the government demanding a probe into the Adani Group by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC).

Union Minister and leader of the House Piyush Goyal said "It is important that the nation hears an apology from the leader of their party (Congress) who is responsible for causing so much discredit to the country and to the Parliament".

However, the Opposition members had sought a probe into the Adani Group by a JPC and accused the Centre of being silent on a report by a US firm that alleged stock manipulation and accounting fraud by the group.

Amid the din, Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar adjourned the House till 11 am on March 24.

Earlier in the day, the House was adjourned till 2 pm soon after the papers were laid on the table.

The row over Gandhi's remarks in London has been reverberating in the House since March 13- day one of the second phase of the Budget Session-- leading to continued adjournment of the House every day. This was the 15th adjournment since the second phase of the Budget Session started.

The Opposition MPs also held a protest march demanding a JPC inquiry into the Adani Group issue inside Parliament premises in the afternoon.

"In a democracy, we have the right to protest. It's our duty, to tell the truth to the people. This dictatorial government doesn't believe in discussion, democracy," Congress president and leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge said while marching in the protest.

The Rajya Sabha faced adjournment for the whole day last Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday too amid pandemonium as treasury benches sought an apology for Gandhi's remarks in London on democracy in India and the Opposition objecting to the matter and demanded a probe into the Adani Group by a Joint Parliamentary Committee.

A similar scenario was witnessed in the Rajya Sabha sittings on Monday and Tuesday in this week too.

From last Monday to Thursday, the Rajya Sabha adjourned two times each day, and the House witnessed adjournment once for the day on Friday. This week too, the Rajya Sabha witnessed two adjournments on Monday and Tuesday-- once till 2 pm and then for the whole day.

During his address to the British parliamentarians in London recently, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the "functioning microphones of Opposition leaders in Parliament are often silenced." He made several other allegations including on PM Modi, an 'attack on democracy', and the China issue. In Cambridge, the Congress MP again alleged that the Opposition's voice was being stifled in Parliament. (ANI)