The winter session of the Indian Parliament commenced on Monday, November 25, but it was soon disrupted by opposition parties demanding discussions on key issues, primarily the Adani bribery case.  Both Houses—Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha—were adjourned until Wednesday.

What led to the adjournment?

The Lok Sabha met at 11. A. M. Opposition members raised several demands leading the Speaker, Om Birla, to adjourn the proceedings for an hour. However, the session remained disrupted and was further adjourned till Wednesday.

In the Rajya Sabha, similar scenes were repeated by opposition leaders protesting over the Adani issue which led to the suspension of the proceedings for the day.

Before the commencement of the individual sessions, a joint session of the Parliament was held, which marked the formal opening of the Winter Session.

Why no session on Tuesday?

Parliament will observe Tuesday as a non-working day to commemorate the 75th year since the Constitution was adopted by the Constituent Assembly way back in 1949.

What's on the agenda for the winter session?

The Winter Session, expected to run until December 20, will see the introduction of 16 bills. Among these is the much-anticipated Waqf (Amendment) Bill, which follows a comprehensive review by a Joint Parliamentary Committee chaired by MP Jagdambika Pal.

Other bills scheduled for discussion include:

The Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill

The Bharatiya Vayuyan Vidheyak

The Disaster Management (Amendment) Bill

The Oilfields (Regulation and Development) Amendment Bill

The Boilers Bill

The Merchant Shipping Bill

The Indian Ports Bill

Issues such as the Adani bribery case, violence in Manipur, and clashes in Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal are also likely to be on everybody's mind during the session.

As the Winter Session is starting, Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the nation. While noting the importance of the 75th year of the Constitution, Modi said, "Tomorrow, in the Samvidhan Sadan, everyone will celebrate the 75th year of our Constitution,"

He also targeted the opposition in his speech, saying, “Some people who have been rejected by the people are constantly trying to control the Parliament through hooliganism by a handful of people.”

The Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha will resume proceedings on Wednesday at 11 a.m. as the session seeks to address an extensive legislative agenda and some pressing national issues.