Opposition MPs Protesting At Delhi's Vijay Chowk Seeking JPC Probe Into Adani Issue Detained

Mallikarjun Kharge, the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, questioned why the Modi government is not allowing a JPC to probe the Adani issue even as the BJP will have majority representation in it.

New Delhi: Opposition parties on Friday held a protest march at Vijay Chowk to demand a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani row. The opposition alleged that "democracy is in danger". The Delhi Police detained the protesting parliamentarians at Vijay Chowk.

"PM Modi wants to hide something from the people. Lalit Modi, Nirav Modi, and Mehul Choksi looted crores of rupees from the government and fled from this country and PM Modi is not speaking about them," Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge said.

The Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha remarked that Rahul Gandhi "is not being allowed to speak" when he asked for permission to address allegations levelled against him by Union ministers over his remarks in London.

"They are not letting Rahul Gandhi speak. It means they will continue to loot and you keep your mouth shut. Rahul Gandhi wrote a letter today asking permission to speak but he was not allowed. If it continues like this, autocracy and dictatorship will come in this country," he said, as quoted by news agency ANI.

Kharge questioned why the Modi government is not allowing a JPC to be formed even as the BJP will have majority representation in it. 

He also alleged that India's freedom of speech and democracy are being ended and "autocracy" and "dictatorship" will follow.

"They try to imprison those who try to speak the truth," Kharge remarked.

After a protest inside the Parliament House complex, a host of Opposition leaders from parties such as the CPI, CPI(M), Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray), JD(U), and Aam Aadmi Party, marched to Vijay Chowk, holding placards like 'We demand JPC' and 'Save LIC' and a huge banner in front of them with 'Democracy in Danger' written on it.

According to news agency PTI, AAP's Sanjay Singh said that Rahul Gandhi's conviction in the 2019 criminal defamation case over his 'Modi surname' remark shows that the government wants to finish off the opposition by slapping cases on them.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police also detained the Congress Protestors outside the party's Headquarters in Delhi.

Heavy security was deployed outside the Congress Headquarters as party workers began to protest against Rahul Gandhi's conviction by the Surat district court.