In a unique protest against the indictment of billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani, Congress MPs on Thursday wore black half-jackets emblazoned with the slogan, “Modi Adani ek hain” (“Modi and Adani are one”). The demonstration took place in the Parliament complex, with several opposition leaders, including Congress’s Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi, joining the protest.
Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, spoke out against the Prime Minister’s refusal to investigate Adani, claiming that Modi is unwilling to act because doing so would implicate himself.
“Modi ji can’t get Adani ji investigated because if he does that, he would be getting himself investigated… Modi aur Adani ek hain, do nahi hain (Modi and Adani are one, not two),” Gandhi said, emphasizing the connection between the two figures.
Along with Congress MPs, lawmakers from the RJD, Left parties, and other opposition groups participated in the protest. They called for a discussion in Parliament regarding Adani’s recent indictment in a U.S. court on charges of bribery and fraud, demanding that Prime Minister Modi address the issue in the House.
The protest was held at Parliament’s Makar Dwar, not on the steps leading to Parliament, following a Lok Sabha Secretariat advisory that flagged concerns over security. The protesting MPs later moved to Samvidhan Sadan, where they raised slogans against both Modi and Adani.
Earlier in the week, opposition leaders from various parties, including Congress, AAP, RJD, Shiv Sena (UBT), DMK, and Left parties, held similar protests, calling for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani scandal. The opposition’s demand is fueled by the recent indictment of Adani and other company officials in the U.S., which they argue justifies the need for an investigation into alleged corruption and fraud linked to the Adani Group.
However, the TMC (Trinamool Congress) has distanced itself from the protests. Despite this, the Congress party remains vocal, asserting that the indictment of Adani validates their calls for a JPC inquiry into the alleged financial misconduct by the Adani conglomerate.
The protests come amid rising calls for accountability in the wake of the charges against Adani, as opposition parties continue to demand further scrutiny into the billionaire’s business dealings.
