The Lok Sabha was paralysed for the third consecutive day on Wednesday over the government-opposition standoff over Rahul Gandhi’s comments and over the JPC demand into the Adani-Hindenburg issue.

The row escalated when Union ministers demanded in the House suspension of the opposition members protesting from the well with placards and MPs of about 16 opposition parties staging a march to Vijay Chowk and sending a joint complaint to the ED chief, seeking a probe into the Adani issue.

The intense protests in the House with a parallel show of sloganeering from rival sides meant two stormy adjournments but one bill – The Inter-Services Organisations (Command, control and Discipline) Bill 2023 – was quickly introduced amid the din, the first in three days.

Intervening amid the din, Union minister Piyush Goyal said, “Speaker Sir, this is a very serious issue that a member of this House went abroad and made defamatory comments about this House… He has to tender an apology. And the manner in which these people (some opposition MPs) who are protesting and carrying placards in the House should be acted against; in my opinion they should be suspended.”

With the government side dominating the proceedings within the Houses, opposition MPs took their protests to the streets at about 12.30 pm by marching from Parliament House to the nearby Vijay Chowk. Raising slogans and carrying placards , these MPs sought a JPC probe into the Adani issue until they were stopped by police by citing the customary prohibitory orders there during sessions. Leader of opposition Mallikarjun Kharge rejected the government’s demand for Rahul Gandhi’s apology. “Rahul ji just talked about democracy and wherever people go in debates they express their opinion, so this issue is irrelevant,” he said.

Kharge and leaders of like-minded opposition parties “filed a complaint” to ED and sought a probe into the Adani issue, while chronicling the details of Hindenburg expose. “We are acutely aware of how in the recent past, the ED has also zealously pursued cases of alleged political favouritism, including sharing concurrent jurisdiction with SEBI and CBI. We are also aware of the limited remit of the Supreme Court Commission appointed on the subject. We point this out so as to remind the ED that it cannot turn around and abdicate its jurisdiction on these or other grounds,” they wrote in the complaint to the ED chief.

As soon as the House assembled after lunch hour, BJP MPs raised slogans demanding Congress MP Rahul Gandhi apologise. “Rahul Gandhi sadan mein aao, sadan mein aakar maafi maango (Rahul Gandhi come to the House and apologise in the House),” said members of the treasury benches. Opposition members flashed “Save LIC” placards and demanded an inquiry into the Hindenburg research report on Adani group of companies.BJD MP Bhartruhari Mahtab, who was in the chair, appealed to the members to maintain decorum of the House. “We are sitting here in Parliament to conduct legislative business. It is not just the chair’s responsibility to keep the House in order but the onus lies on each of the members as well,” he said.

Papers were laid and a bill introduced in the din. Parliamentary affairs minister Pralhad Joshi rose and objected to the opposition members flashing placards in the House. Demanding Gandhi’s apology, he said, “Rahul Gandhi has cast aspersions on the Speaker. He has directly attacked the institution… He has also invited other nations to intervene in the domestic affairs of India. He should appear in the House and apologise.”

The Lok Sabha was adjourned till Thursday within 11 minutes.