Leaders of opposition parties staged a protest march donning black clothes against the disqualification of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and over the Adani Group issue.

Several leaders marched from the Parliament complex towards Vijay Chowk in New Delhi on Monday to show their unity against the BJP-led central government.

The opposition MPs were seen sloganeering against the Centre at the Gandhi statue in the complex and demanded the constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) over the Adani issue. The protesting leaders were seen holding placards and raising slogans against the Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi linking him with Adani.

Indian National Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi also joined the protest.

Ahead of the protest, like-minded Opposition leaders attended a meeting at the chamber of Mallikarjun Kharge. The opposition parties which participated in the meeting were DMK, Samajwadi Party, JD(U), Bharat Rashtra Samithi, CPI(M), RJD, Nationalist Congress Party, CPI, IUML, MDMK, Kerala Congress, TMC, RSP, AAP, J-K NC and Shiv Sena (Uddhav faction). Trinamool Congress MPs also participated in the meeting.

The protest march comes after both the Houses of the Parliament were adjourned within minutes of their commencement. Rajya Sabha was adjourned till 2 pm and Lok Sabha till 4 pm on Monday.

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge while speaking to media persons said, “I thank everyone who supported this. That is why, I thanked everyone yesterday and I thank them today as well. We welcome anyone who comes forward to protect democracy and Constitution and safeguard the people. We extend heartfelt gratitude to the people who support us.”

“Why are we here in black clothes? We want to show that PM Modi is ending democracy in the country. He first finished autonomous bodies, and then they put up their own government everywhere by threatening those who had won polls,” Kharge further said.