The Lok Sabha functioned for 13 minutes on Thursday and the Rajya Sabha for 16 minutes. Both Houses were then adjourned for the day with the speaker and the Rajya Sabha chairman rejecting motions and notices to suspend the day’s business for a discussion on the criminal and civil indictment of Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani and Adani Group executives in the United States.

The adjournment of the Houses for the rest of the day ironically took care of the remaining business. This pattern was witnessed for the third consecutive day since the winter session began on 25 November.

The speaker and chairman have blamed the Opposition for "not allowing" the Houses to function. Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar has been adjourning the House by pointing out that rule 267 states that business can be suspended only with the consent of the chair. He was acting on a strict and narrow reading of the rule which states that the rule could be invoked to discuss subjects listed in the day’s business.

That rule was amended in 2000 by the Rules Committee of the Rajya Sabha, which observed that MPs were using rule 267 to “seek discussion either on a matter not listed in the agenda for the........

© National Herald