Dhankhar says adjournment notices being ‘weaponised’ as mechanism of disruption

Rajya Sabha Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar on Friday said adjournment notices under Rule 267 of the House are being “weaponised” as a mechanism of disruption before adjourning the proceedings till Monday amid Opposition parties protest over corruption allegations against the Adani Group, and other issues.

Like the previous three sittings of the ongoing Winter Session, the House could not take up scheduled business on Friday as well and the House proceedings were adjourned within minutes of the Assembly.

Opposition MPs started the protest soon after the chairman announced that he had accepted their 17 notices for suspension of scheduled business and take up issues related to corruption allegations against the Adani Group, violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Sambhal, and Manipur.

“...these issues have been raised repeatedly during the week with the result that we have already lost three working days. These days should have been committed by us for public cause,” Dhankhar said.

The chairman said the loss of time, opportunity and question hour has given enormous setbacks to the people at large.

“Now, I find honourable members and I call upon you for deep reflection. Rule 267 is being weaponised as a mechanism of disruption and disruption from our normal working. There are very senior members,” he said.

The statement led to further protests, with some Opposition members raising slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Adani Group.

Expressing “deep anguish”, Dhankhar said, “Our actions are not people-centric. They are to absolute public distaste, we are getting into irrelevance, people are ridiculing us, we have virtually become a laughing stock.”

Pramod Tiwari, Ranjeet Ranjan, and Vivek Tankha were among the Congress party MPs who had given notices for taking up discussion on the alleged corruption and wrongdoings against the Adani Group.

John Brittas and AA Rahim of the CPI(M) were among the Rajya Sabha members who sought discussion on the recent violence in Sambhal.

Sanjay Singh of the AAP had given a notice to take up the issue of “rising” crime in the national capital, while his party colleague Raghav Chadha wanted a discussion on the alleged atrocities against Hindus in Bangladesh and the arrest of Hindu spiritual leader Chinmoy Krishna Das.

Some opposition members had given a notice under Rule 267 to take up the issue of the law and order situation in strife-torn Manipur.