Opposition parties on Friday held protests for the second day in a row in Parliament, seeking an investigation into allegations of large-scale corporate fraud by the Adani Group.

Due to the uproar, both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned for the day.

Earlier on Friday, leaders of 16 Opposition parties held a meeting in the chambers of Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge.

The Congress said that ordinary citizens were losing money on account of investments made by the state-owned Life Insurance Corporation and State Bank of India. “The united Opposition is seeking an investigation into this entire matter,” the party said on Twitter.

The Opposition has sought an investigation by a Joint Parliamentary Committee or a Supreme Court-appointed panel into allegations by United States-based company Hindenburg Research that the Adani Group had engaged in decades of stock manipulation and accounting fraud.

Soon after Lok Sabha proceedings began on Friday, members of Opposition parties shouted slogans and called for an inquiry into the business practices of the Gautam Adani-led conglomerate.

Speaker Om Birla urged the MPs to take part in discussions during Question Hour, PTI reported. He said that he was willing to give the Opposition enough time to discuss the matter if they gave a proper notice about it.

However, the Opposition continued to engage in sloganeering, due to which Birla adjourned the proceedings till 2 pm.

In the Rajya Sabha, Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar rejected 15 adjournment notices filed by Opposition MPs who demanded a discussion on the crisis in the Adani Group. “I am unable to accede to them as these are not fulfilling the requirements of Rule 267,” he said, according to PTI.

The Rajya Sabha’s Rule 267 states that any MP can move a motion to suspend business in the Upper House with the consent of the chairperson.

Dhankhar urged MPs to maintain order, and permit the listed business of the House to be taken up. However, the protests continued, due to which the House was adjourned till 2.30 pm.

Congress to protest outside LIC, SBI offices on February 6

Congress General Secretary in-charge of organisation KC Venugopal said on Thursday that the party will hold countrywide protests outside the offices of the Life Insurance Corporation and State Bank of India on February 6.

“LIC has invested over Rs 36k crores in the Adani Group and Indian banks have invested nearly Rs 80k crores in Adani,” he said. “This is ongoing, despite glaring evidence of fraud and stock manipulation. The govt can’t jeopardise our hard earned savings to profit the PM’s cronies.”

Venugopal said that there should be a thorough discussion in Parliament on the exposure of LIC, SBI, and other Indian banks to the Adani Group.