Members of several Opposition parties protested outside the Parliament on Monday against the Centre and the Adani Group which has come under fire after US-based activist short-seller Hindenburg Research accused the ports-to-media conglomerate of “fraud” and “stock manipulation”.
Opposition MPs held a protest in front of the Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex and stalled proceedings in both houses while demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe or a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the Adani rout. The group’s stocks have taken a beating on the bourses after the allegations by the US firm emerged.
The MPs, standing before the Gandhi statue, shouted slogans alleging “yaari” of the Prime Minister and the billionaire, and carried placards which read, “Save LIC and SBI”.
The cards carried by the Opposition members read, “Adani-Modi mei yaari hai, paise ki loot jaari hai”, “Nahi chalegi aur bemaani, bas karo Modi-Adani”, “Desh ko lootna band karo, JPC se jaanch karo”.
Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Only a JPC or SC-monitored investigation under the CJI can bring out the truth about ‘forced’ investments by LIC and PSU banks in companies alleged of financial fraud, endangering the hard-earned savings of crores of Indians.”
The protest followed a meeting on Monday morning attended by various Opposition members to coordinate their joint strategy in the House on the Adani issue. Among the parties that participated in the meeting held in the chamber of Kharge were the Congress, DMK, NCP, BRS, JDU, SP, CPM, CPI, JMM, RLD, RSP, AAP, IUML, RJD and Shiv Sena (Uddhav Thackeray faction).
Meanwhile, both Houses were adjourned today after Opposition members protested seeking a discussion on the matter.
Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) leader in Rajya Sabha K Keshava Rao moved a notice under Rule 267 in the upper house, party MP Nama Nageswara Rao has moved a notice in the Lok Sabha to discuss the issue.
Last week, members of the Parliament had submitted adjournment notices stating that “a significant volume of public money through SBI and LIC is locked in the Adani Group”. However, the government, in a statement said that it was within “permitted limits”.