The Adani saga: Congress launches nationwide protests, reiterates demand for JPC probe

Stepping up against Modi government over the LIC, SBI investment in Adani group, Congress on Monday held nationwide protests – in and outside parliament – reiterating for JPC probe into the matter.

While thousands of Congress workers staged a protest outside the State Bank of India (SBI) office near parliament in Delhi, led by senior party leaders Vikar Rasool and working president Raman Bhalla, Congress activists took out a rally in Jammu.

“We protested from Sansad to Sadakh (inside Parliament and outside it) over the Adani issue. We demand that a JPC be set up to probe it. We also demand a probe by a retired chief justice into it,” Bhalla told media.

In Jammu, Congress protesters tried to break the barricade and clashed with the police.

Similarly, in Delhi, led by Srinivas BV thousands of Youth Congress activists held a protest at Jantar Mantar. Srinivas BV was detained by police after a clash broke out between Congress activists and the police.

Calling Modi government ‘corrupt’ Srinivas reiterated party’s demand for a JPC probe into the matter while talking to the media. He said people will not forgive Modi government.

NSUI, the student wing of Congress, also participated in the protest at Jantar Mantar, visuals of which showed protesters burnt a suitcase with an SBI logo on it.

In Uttar Pradesh, Congress activists organised rallies in various cities, demanding probe into the matter by a joint parliamentary committee.

In Amethi, Rahul Gandhi’s erstwhile Lok Sabha constituency, Congress activists organised a massive protest.

Calling the Hindenburg expose on Adani “biggest corporate scam” of the history, UP Congress activists held a silent protest in Mau.

In Congress ruled Chhattisgarh, thousands of Congress workers protested in Raipur, pressing for the JPC probe in to the matter.

Attacking Modi government for not allowing discussion in the parliament, Tamil Nadu Congress workers staged an agitation demonstration in front of Sashtri Nagar Branch,Chennai.

Earlier in the day, in a joint protest, Opposition parties staged a protest near the Gandhi statue in the Parliament complex. It is worth recalling here that a report by New York-based investor research firm Hindenburg Research had accused Gautam Adani-led conglomerate of “brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud scheme over the course of decades”.

Meanwhile, the Congress on Monday alleged that their protests against the Central government and Modi's "deafening silence" over the stock rout of Adani Group companies is not being covered by mainstream media channels.

Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate also alleged that "there hasn’t been a squeak from the Indian regulators" on the ongoing Adani Group vs Hindenburg Research row. Taking to Twitter, Shrinate has questioned the government's silence.

Shrinate also claimed that Rahul Gandhi is the "only one person who has continuously questioned the Hum Do Hamare Do model" and raised questions about "PM Modi's favours to his friend Adani."

Shrinate tweets a clip of Gandhi questioning Modi's silence on the Adani row and the Centre's attempt to suppress any discussion on the same in the Parliament.