Donning caps printed with images of Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Trinamul Congress MPs on Tuesday held a protest in the Parliament complex here demanding the arrest of the businessman and alleged that the central government was shielding him.

The party, which had not participated in protests held by the Opposition on the Adani issue recently, again stayed away from the one held by the Congress and other parties in the Parliament House corridor to press for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe and chose to hold its demonstration separately.

"The partnership with the BJP is helping Adani. There is an understanding between Modi and Adani and that is why Parliament has failed to function," alleged TMC Lok Sabha MP Sudip Bandyopadhyay.

TMC MPs were seen wearing caps with a picture of Adani and Prime Minister Modi printed on them during the protest. Party leaders claimed that spent days trying to get around 100 such caps printed as no printer in Delhi was ready to do it.

The party finally got them printed in a shop in Uttar Pradesh, a leader said.

"Adani should be arrested. Modi is trying to protect Adani in the one lakh crore rupees scam. This is also the reason why they are not allowing any discussion in Parliament.

"TMC leadership has already demanded that the 10 non-BJP states should begin their own probe into this and ensure that public money is not misused," said TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O'Brien.

Bandyopadhyay demanded that the prime minister should speak on the issue.

"PM Modi should explain this in the House how LIC-SBI money ended up with Adani," he said.

TMC leaders shouted slogans like "Desh ka hua bura haal, Modi bane Adani ki dhaal!" and held placards.

"Under the patronage of PM, India has become a safe haven for capitalist cronies who act with apparent impunity to loot the masses," Bandyopadhyay alleged.

"The cat is out of the bag: @BJP4India is an apologist for financial fraud. Their attempts to stall Parliamentary discussions on the Adani issue are proof of their complicity. We refuse to sit back and watch our financial institutions be bled dry and the common man be looted," the TMC tweeted from its official handle.

The TMC had also skipped a march of the Opposition to the Enforcement Directorate office earlier last week. PTI ASG RT

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