New Delhi, Mar 27 (UNI) The Opposition parties including Congress on Monday staged a protest against the BJP-led government at the Centre over Adani issue and disqualification of Rahul Gandhi from the Lower House as a member.

Several MPs of the Opposition, led by Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, who were dressed in black, holding banner and placards, marched from Parliament to Vijay Chowk here.

Talking to reporters , Kharge said, “Why have we come in black clothes ? We want to show that Modi ji is ending democracy.”

“Modi ji, why are you afraid of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) ?,” the Congress chief asked Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he accused the ruling dispensation of ‘protecting’ billionaire businessman Gautam Adani.

Several Opposition parties have been demanding a JPC probe into the Hindenburg Research report on Adani Group which alleged that it had engaged in stock manipulation and accounting fraud schemes over the course of decades.


“A case was registered in Surat (Gujarat) against Rahul Gandhi for a speech he gave in Karnataka’s Kolar. This was done to stop Rahul Gandhi ji from speaking in the Parliament,” Kharge said in a veiled attack on the ruling BJP over disqualification of its former chief from the Lower House as a member.

The former Congress president was disqualified from Lok Sabha as a member last week after he was convicted in a defamation case by a court in Gujarat's Surat for his "all thieves have Modi surname" remarks at a rally in Karnataka’s Kolar in 2019.

Earlier in the day, the Opposition members including United Progressive Alliance Chairperson Sonia Gandhi held a demonstration in front of the Gandhi statue in the Parliament premises over the same.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the Opposition parties was held at the residence of Kharge.
Among the parties, AAP, TMC and BRS attended the meeting.
"Tonight floor leaders of 18 Opposition parties met at the residence of Kharge ji and with one voice decided to continue with their campaign against the Modi regime that is destroying democracy and that has subverted all institutions," Congress general secretary in-charge Communications Jairam Ramesh said in a series of tweets.
He added, "They expressed their collective resolve to combat Modi's politics of fear and intimidation. This resolve will be reflected in joint actions outside Parliament beginning now."
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