New Delhi, Feb 13 (IANS) The Lok Sabha was adjourned twice on Friday due to continued protests and uproar by opposition members over various issues and will reconvene after a three-week recess on March 9.
The first part of the Budget Session, since it began in the first week of February, witnessed repeated chaos and disruption, noisy scenes, government-opposition confrontation over a host of issues ranging from the India-US trade deal, unpublished memoirs of Former Army Chief General M.M. Naravane and the latest being the Epstein controversy.
As the Lower House convened on Friday, the opposition members started raising slogans and assembled in the well of the House, demanding the resignation of Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri over an alleged connection with Jeffrey Epstein, a convicted American sex offender.
Congress MP Ujjawal Raman Singh questioned the Centre over ‘multiple deaths’ due to Codeine syrup and demanded the victims, both in Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, be given due monetary compensation of Rs five lakh each and also a CBI enquiry should be set up to nab the culprits.
Union Minister J.P. Nadda stated that no deaths have been reported due to the consumption of Codeine cup syrup, and hence, the question of ex gratia or CBI investigation didn’t arise.
Meanwhile, opposition members trooped into the well of the House and persisted with slogans like “Hardeep Puri must resign”. Sandhya Ray, the officiating Speaker, urged the protesting opposition MPs to return to their seats, but they didn’t relent, following which the House was adjourned till noon.
The House, after reconvening at noon, saw legislative proceedings continue for some time, and finally was adjourned till March 9.
Earlier, the House also paid tribute and observed a minute of silence for former Haridwar MP Bhagwan Das Rathore, who passed away recently.
Before Lok Sabha proceedings, the opposition members staged a protest outside the House in the Parliament premises over the Epstein files.
The Epstein files disclosures in the US, which allegedly have a mention of email exchanges between Hardeep Singh Puri and Jeffrey Epstein, were lapped up by Congress and other opposition parties to corner the government.
Congress’ claims of alleged complicity have been outrightly rejected by Union Minister Hardeep Puri, who denied any association with the American sex offender and also accused Rahul Gandhi of “passing innuendo” over the subject.
–IANS
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