India’s Parliament faced a third day of disruption Thursday as opposition parties protested the government’s silence over U.S. fraud charges against billionaire Gautam Adani, with lawmakers demanding investigation into the coal magnate’s business empire.
Opposition members crowded parliamentary aisles shouting anti-government slogans as Speaker Om Birla attempted to convene the lower house. The Congress party and other opposition groups accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of protecting Adani, leading to repeated adjournments in both houses of Parliament.
U.S. prosecutors in New York recently charged Adani, 62, and seven associates with securities fraud and conspiracy, alleging they orchestrated $265 million in bribes to Indian officials to facilitate a massive solar project. The Adani Group called the Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission allegations “baseless.”
The controversy has impacted Adani’s international operations, with Kenya’s president canceling multimillion-dollar airport modernization and energy deals. Sri Lanka is reviewing $440 million in planned Adani Group investments for wind power and port development, while Bangladesh is examining an electricity supply agreement.
Amit Malviya, head of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party’s IT department, echoed the Adani Group’s defense on social media platform X, stating the U.S. charges are “allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.” Critics interpreted this as unofficial government support for Gautam.
The opposition has called for a joint parliamentary committee to investigate Adani’s companies, which span agriculture, renewable energy, coal, and infrastructure sectors. “The foreign ministry and the finance ministry are inquiring into it. We will take the decision according to the reports of both ministries,” said Sri Lankan government spokesperson Nalinda Jayatissa, addressing his country’s review of Adani projects.
