Accusing the government of "single-mindedly" helping Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "friends", a joint Opposition will hold a protest at Gandhi Statue in Parliament while Congress has called for district-level protests at LIC and SBI offices against the financial exposure of LIC and SBI in Adani Group companies.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge, who is also Congress president, has called a second meeting of Opposition parties on Friday to finetune strategy but a couple of parties like Trinamool Congress is unlikely to attend the deliberations claiming that "there is nothing more to discuss on the issue".
However, Trinamool will send its MPs to the Monday protest in Parliament. Trinamool sources said its floor leaders Sudip Bandhyopadhyay and Derek O'Brien together attended a meeting called by Congress for the first time in four years, as the issue to be discussed is "important" and have an impact on common man.
Separately, Congress announced protest in front of SBI and LIC offices in district headquarters on Monday against the "forceful investments" of LIC, SBI and other nationalised banks in Adani Group besides demanding a discussion in Parliament following the Hindenburg Research's report has accused the conglomerate of stock manipulation and fraud.
Announcing the protest, Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal said, "the characteristically insensitive and callous government, rather than acting to safeguard people's interest and stop the squandering and loot of public money, is still single-mindedly bent on helping Prime Minister Modi's friends, blatantly throwing all caution and prudence to the wind."
He said the protest was planned as a response to "public sentiments and large scale outrage" against the government, which "cannot jeopardise the hard earned money of the people of India to profit the crony friends of the Prime Minister".
Venugopal said the LIC has invested Rs 36,474.78 crore in Adani Group whereas Indian banks together have invested a sum of nearly Rs 80,000 crore. "They continue to do so even when there are allegations of stock manipulation, accounting fraud and other malfeasance. The Group has lost USD 100 billion since the expose," he added.
All state committees of the party have been asked to issue necessary instructions to district committees that there should be participation from the booth level "in full measure" in the protest and not just senior leaders, party functionaries and workers.