Congress blames Centre for impasse in Parliament, reiterates JPC on Adani issue

The Congress on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government’s refusal to allow the opposition to raise its demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) into the Adani issue was to be blamed for the impasse in Parliament.

Referring to the Adani scam as one of the biggest scams to have taken place since independence, Congress leader Pramod Tiwari accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of using government agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Income Tax (IT) to spread terror.

Tiwari said that a detailed investigation into the Adani issue might implicate the ruling party personally in the Adani group’s wrongdoings which is why it was not agreeing to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe.

“This is the biggest scam that has happened since independence. The government is afraid of JPC because it will reveal its true colours,” Tiwari said, adding that the ruling party is intentionally creating a ruckus in the parliament to delay the parliamentary process.

The Congress claimed that several JPCs were formed for much “smaller scams” in the past and that a probe into the Adani matter was more relevant. “Why is the government afraid of ordering a JPC probe then?” asked Tiwari.

He said that despite constant attempts by the ruling party, the Congress party would not stop raising its voice. “Our battle for an investigation will continue until a JPC probe is ordered,” Tiwari said.

Tiwari further mentioned that the Adani issue is being raised in the Parliament not for their benefit, but for the ‘public interest’ and the service of the nation.

Last week, amidst rising opposition demand for a JPC probe into the Adani issue, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi levelled a slew of allegations against the Centre on its foreign policy and claimed that it was aimed at benefiting the Adani Group.

The issue of the Adani Group was also raised in the Lok Sabha by Congress member Manish Tewari while speaking on power generation in Punjab and procurement of coal from the Mahanadi Coalfields during the Zero Hour.

He had accused the Centre of discriminating against the people of Punjab to benefit the Adani Group by directing the state government to ensure that coal is procured through a long route that includes ports operated by the conglomerate.

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge too demanded a thorough probe into the Adani issue. “Keeping public interest in mind, we want a thorough probe into the Adani issue either by a JPC or a Supreme Court-monitored probe,” Kharge had said.

Congress general secretary (communication) Jairam Ramesh had last month asked if the proposed committee of experts would examine the New York-based Hindenburg research or the Adani Group.

“Today in Supreme Court Solicitor General said Govt has no objection to a committee to examine the Hindenburg report on Adani. Then why the stubborn refusal to a JPC which will anyway be dominated by BJP & its allies? But will the proposed committee investigate Hindenburg or Adani?” Ramesh wrote on Twitter.

The opposition has been attacking the Gutam Adani-led group since a US-based Hindenburg report alleged “brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud” and the use of offshore shell companies to inflate stock prices by the Adani Group.

The Adani Group has denied all Hindenburg allegations, calling them “malicious”, “baseless” and a “calculated attack on India.”