In black masks, Opposition MPs hold protest in Parliament over Adani issue

Wearing black masks with 'Modi, Adani bhai-bhai (Modi, Adani are brothers)' printed on them and holding a copy of the Constitution, several Opposition MPs led by the Congress held a protest march inside the Parliament complex on the Adani issue on Friday.

The protest saw several leaders from some of the INDIA bloc parties marching and raising slogans against the Adani Group, its owner Gautam Adani and the government. MPs from the Rashtriya Janta Dal, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and the Left parties joined the protest.

The Trinamool Congress and the Samajwadi Party, which have so far stayed away from any denunciation of Adani, stayed away from Friday's protest as well. The decision has been seen by the ruling BJP as a "division" in the Opposition bloc.

Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi and his sister Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the newly elected Congress MP from Wayanad, were among those who led the agitation.

Priyanka Gandhi later alleged that the government was scared of holding a discussion on the Adani issue and wondered why it was so. "They don't have the courage to discuss the Adani issue (in Parliament). Why is there a problem in discussion... discussion happens in a democracy only, they are afraid of it as well," she said.

On Thursday, the Opposition MPs protested outside the Makar Dwar of Parliament wearing black jackets with 'Modi, Adani ek hai (Modi, Adani are one)' and "Adani safe hai' stickers on them. They also raised slogans on the Parliament premises to demand a joint parliamentary probe into the Adani issue.

The Congress and several other opposition parties have been demanding a probe by a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) into the Adani Group, following the indictment of Adani and other company officials in a US court.

The Congress has said Adani's indictment "vindicates" its demand for a JPC probe into the various "scams" involving the billionaire industrialist's conglomerate. Rahul Gandhi has also sought Adani's arrest.

The Adani Group has dismissed all allegations as "baseless".