Congress MLAs staged a walkout from the Madhya Pradesh Assembly on December 5, 2025, protesting the cutting of about 6 lakh trees in Singrauli district for an Adani Group coal block. MLA Vikrant Bhuria, national president of the Adivasi Congress, raised the issue in the House. He said massive tree felling was happening in villages like Dhirauli, Amreli, and Birkuniya. "Tribal population is being deprived of their rights to give benefits to capitalists and coal mining," Bhuria said. The protest led to heated discussions between the opposition and the government benches. Minister of State for Forest, Dilip Ahirwar, rejected the allegations. He said tree cutting followed government rules and the same number of trees were being replanted in other areas. Bhuria, MLA from Jhabua, alleged that Gram Sabha permissions were obtained through coercion. He demanded a judicial probe and a joint House committee investigation. He added that laws like the PESA and Forest Rights Act were being violated. Around 1,398 hectares of forest in Dhirauli block were affected. He warned that deforestation would harm water sources and displace villagers. Ahirwar denied the request for a judicial inquiry. He stated the coal block, allotted to Stratatech Mineral (an Adani subsidiary) in 2021, was not in the PESA notified area. The Government of India approved forest land diversion in May 2025. Ahirwar said 5,70,667 trees were permitted for felling; 33,000 had been cut so far. Over 13.97 lakh saplings would be planted in Agar Malwa, Raisen, Shivpuri, and Sagar districts. Congress leaders argued that cutting trees in Singrauli but planting elsewhere wouldn’t protect locals or the environment. Some MLAs claimed the coal block was under PESA protection until recently and that status changed between 2023 and 2025. Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya said PESA was never implemented in Singrauli due to low tribal population. Congress also questioned deploying 1,500 police personnel during tree felling. Party national general secretary Jairam Ramesh called the project an "environmental tragedy and a disaster" for Adivasi communities. He accused BJP governments of benefiting the Adani Group and alleged violations in environmental clearances. The issue has been raised multiple times this year by Congress leaders.