Parliament Adjourned Again on Rahul Remarks; Govt Trying to Avoid Adani Issue, Says Opp

New Delhi: Both the Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha were adjourned till 2 p.m on Thursday after uproarious scenes.

In Rajya Sabha, Trinamool Congress MPs were in the Well of the House even before the start of the proceedings and raised slogans saying they are not being allowed to speak.

TMC members were also wearing black masks as a mark of protest.

Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar urged the members to take to their seats but Treasury benches raised their pitch demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi for his democracy remarks made abroad.

Opposition members also created uproar and the chair adjourned the House within two minutes of meeting.

The Rajya Sabha has not been able to transact any business ever since it met since Monday for the second leg of the Budget session, amid opposition uproar.      

The Opposition members have been blaming the BJP for creating pandemonium in the House and for not allowing it to function.

Govt not Letting Parliament run to Avoid Adani Issue: Kharge

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday accused the government of instigating the Opposition and not letting Parliament function to avoid a discussion on the Adani issue and its "failures".

He also reiterated that there is no question of an apology over Rahul Gandhi's remarks in the UK.

Gandhi's remarks during his recent trip to the United Kingdom have rocked Parliament, with both Houses failing to transact any significant business on the first three days of the Budget session's second half.

"Is there untouchability or not, it is there, so if someone goes abroad that person will talk about it…likewise democracy is being trampled upon, we were demonstrating peacefully yesterday, who stopped us? They put women constables in the front to try and stop us," Kharge alleged.

The Congress along with several other Opposition parties had taken out a protest march from Parliament House to hand over a complaint to the Enforcement Directorate on the Adani issue on Wednesday. However, they were stopped by the police at Vijay Chowk here.

The government's intention is to avoid the Adani issue, so that it is not discussed, and their "failures" are not discussed in Parliament, the Congress president told reporters ahead of the start of parliamentary proceedings in the morning.

"Have you ever heard that ruling party people are stalling proceedings daily, they get up first and start saying 'maafi maango', 'maafi maango' (apologise), what is this? The government is instigating and they preach about democracy to others," he said.

 Rahul Speaking Language of Anti-India Forces: Rijiju

The ruling BJP on Thursday launched a fresh salvo on Rahul Gandhi for his democracy remark, with Union Law Minister and party leader Kiren Rijiju saying people will question lawmakers if they don't condemn the act of a fellow MP and seek his apology on the floor of the House for the comments in London.

Addressing a press conference here, Rijiju said anti-India forces and a "gang" had conspired to defame India in foreign land and they were speaking the same language as Gandhi.

"The gang members speak the language used by Rahul Gandhi. He will have to apologise in Parliament. It is our duty to seek his apology," he said.