Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi with Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party (MDMK) MP Vaiko and other opposition MPs stage a protest during the Winter session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Thursday, Dec. 5, 2024. In an unusual protest, leaders of several I.N.D.I.A. bloc parties wore black jackets with stickers reading "Modi Adani Ek Hai" and "Adani Safe Hai" on them and raised slogans on the Parliament premises to demand a joint parliamentary probe into the Adani issue.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: I.N.D.I.A bloc MPs on Thursday wore black jackets with stickers 'Modi Adani Ek Hai, Adani Safe Hai' (Modi and Adani are One, Adani is Safe) and held a march in Parliament House demanding a probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee.
Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi and MPs like Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, K C Venugopal, Manickam Tagore, Kodikkunnil Suresh, N K Premachandran, K Radhakrishnan and Vaiko among others participated in the march. Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party did not participate in the protest as it was in the previous days.
Rahul had the sticker put on his trademark white T-shirt while several others wore black jackets. The MPs also wore the jacket inside Lok Sabha, prompting Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju to accuse the Opposition of holding a "fashion show".
Rahul said Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot order an investigation against billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani as it would amount to getting a probe done against himself.
"Modi-ji can't get Adani-ji investigated because if he does that, he would be getting himself investigated. Modi and Adani are one," Rahul said.
Both Rahul and Priyanka also demanded a discussion on the indictment of Adani in a US court on charges of bribery and fraud must take place in Parliament and Modi must speak in the House on the issue.
CPI Rajya Sabha floor leader P Sandosh Kumar said the Adani issue is a "very serious issue and has tarnished the image of the country".
"The government is not at all serious about it. The American court of law took cognisance of it and now the case is going on and we are demanding a JPC enquiry as it will help us to reveal the exact facts. What is preventing the government from announcing a JPC probe?" he said.
Congress MP Gurjeet Singh Aujla said a question mark has been raised over the character and the reputation of Indian businessmen globally and the Prime Minister should answer and constitute a JPC into the matter. One person is maligning the image of the entire country."