New Delhi: A march organised by members of 16 opposition parties on Wednesday, to demand an investigation into the allegations against the Adani Group, was called off after the Delhi Police blocked the road it was supposed to take soon after the march left parliament premises.
The march was supposed to end outside the Enforcement Directorate’s offices.
Unable to make it anywhere near the ED office, the opposition leaders called off the march and returned to the parliament area. “They have stopped us here. We are 200 people, and there are at least 2,000 police personnel. They want to suppress our voice. And then they talk about democracy,” Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said.
Photo: Special arranagement
“And if someone talks about these things in a debate, a seminar, they are called anti-national,” he continued. Kharge was referring to Rahul Gandhi’s remarks during his recent trip to the UK, and how the BJP has been going after the Congress leader inside and outside parliament.
Though the march could not take place, leaders wrote a letter to the ED, saying that the agency must look into the serious allegations raised by US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research. Instead of looking into this matter that seriously impacted the public, the opposition leaders said, the ED was too busy going after those who disagree with the Modi regime.
Leaders and MPs of 16 like-minded Opposition parties were prevented from walking to ED’s office this afternoon to handover their letter of complaint asking for an investigation into the Adani Scam. This is the letter, which has been emailed to ED. pic.twitter.com/9sAbBkFjJH
— Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) March 15, 2023
“We are acutely aware of how in the recent past, the ED has also zealously pursued cases of alleged political favouritism, including sharing concurrent jurisdiction with SEBI and CBI. We are also aware of the limited remit of the Supreme Court Commission appointed on the subject. We point this out so as to remind the ED that it cannot turn around and abdicate its jurisdiction on these or other grounds,” the letter states.
The letter was signed by leaders of the Congress, CPI, CPI-M, JDU, SS (UBT), RJD, DMK, JMM, AAP, IUML, VCK, Kerala Congress and others.
Photo: Special arranagement
On January 24, US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research released a report alleging widespread accounting fraud and stock manipulation in Adani group companies. Further investigations since have also revealed possible wrongdoing within the company. Adani group share prices have been in freefall ever since the Hindenburg report was released. However, no official investigative agency in India is looking into the matter.