Parliament is unlikely to adjourn sine die ahead of its schedule even as both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the 12th day without any business over the Opposition protest on the Adani affair and the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Contrary to speculation that the government may propose early adjournment of the Houses, the indication that the Parliament will continue till April 6 came at a meeting of the Business Advisory Committee of Rajya Sabha when it unanimously decided to announce a holiday on Friday too and return to work next Monday. The decision on Friday came as Thursday is a holiday on account of the festival on account of Ram Navami.
Also, sources said, BJP MPs were asked by the leadership to remain vigilant during the rest of the Session till April 6. Opposition sources said there was no informal communication from the government side on adjourning the House.
Both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day as no business could be held during pre-lunch and post lunch sessions, as the Congress MPs rushed to the Well of the Houses shouting slogans against Rahul's disqualification and demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe in the Adani affair.
The Opposition continued their ‘black dress’ protest with most of them wearing black colour and Trinamool Congress MPs gagging themselves with black clothes.
In Lok Sabha, Congress MPs Jothimani and Ramya Haridas tore the disqualification order on Rahul and threw at the chair while TN Prathapan hurled a black scarf at Vice Chairman Mithun Reddy, who said the behaviour of MPs was inappropriate. The pre-lunch session in Lok Sabha witnessed just 30 seconds of business while the post-lunch session ran for seven minutes as the Chair went ahead with laying official papers on the table of the House.
Rajya Sabha witnessed intense sloganeering on the Adani issue soon after Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar felicitated women boxers who won medals in an international competition and allowed the laying of official papers.
When Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri was laying a statement on the table of the House, Congress MPs intensified their protest shouting slogans against him in protest against his remarks against Rahul for which they sought his apology.
The intensification of the protest came after two meetings of Opposition parties, which was attended by Trinamool Congress also. The parties have decided not to let go off the steam and continue to corner the government on the Adani issue.