Bihar Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh on Sunday charged leaders of the ruling BJP at the Centre with "acting as spokespersons" of the Adani group, which has been accused of bribery and fraud in the US.

The Rajya Sabha MP was talking to reporters here on the sidelines of a demonstration staged by the Congress' state unit to press the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee to look into the allegations.

"Since long, our leader Rahul Gandhi has been highlighting the unethical practices of Gautam Adani. Nobody paid heed. Now, a scandal has come to light in the US, tarnishing the country's reputation the world over,” Singh said.

He alleged that despite the controversies surrounding the business group, the Narendra Modi government was "trying to protect him...and leaders of the BJP, who speak to the media, seem to be working overtime as spokespersons of Adani".

“We demand that a JPC be constituted at the earliest to probe the corruption scandal. Adani and government officials who may have connived with him must be arrested,” the former Union minister said.

Singh was joined by several party colleagues, including CLP leader Shakil Ahmed Khan. The Congress leaders also shouted slogans against Adani and the prime minister besides burning their effigies.

Billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani, whose conglomerate includes a host of companies covering power to ports sectors, has been charged by US prosecutors for allegedly being part of a scheme to pay USD 265 million (about Rs 2,200 crore) bribe to Indian officials in exchange of favourable terms for solar power contracts in four Indian states.

The Adani Group has denied the charge, saying the allegations levelled by the US prosecutors are baseless and that the conglomerate is compliant with all laws.

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