MPs from at least 18 Opposition parties on Wednesday marched to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to file a complaint against the allegation-hit Adani Group but were prevented just outside Parliament from going ahead prompting the lawmakers to email it to the agency.
Curiously, NCP and Trinamool Congress did not join the march or signed the joint letter to ED Director SK Mishra, seeking an enquiry into the Adani affair reminding that it “cannot turn around and abdicate” its jurisdiction while it is “zealously” pursuing cases of alleged political favouritism. Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who returned to India on Wednesday after his visit to Britain, also did not join the protest march.
Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Mallikarjun Kharge tweeted as the march was stopped, “we were going to hand over a detailed letter to ED to investigate the mega-scam involving Modi-ji's ‘best friend’ - Adani. But the government is stopping us. Why has the ED, which continuously raids the opposition parties, forgotten the address of Modi-ji's friend?”
The march came after the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha were adjourned in the morning as the Opposition sought to raise the Adani issue while the BJP sought Rahul Gandhi’s apology for his ‘democracy in danger’ remarks in London.
Kharge, also the Congress president, led the Opposition MPs’ march from Parliament but as they stepped out of the premises, the lawmakers were stopped by a large posse of security personnel, which included paramilitary personnel.
MPs from Congress, DMK, RJD, Samajwadi Party, BRS, AAP, CPI(M), CPI, JD(U) and Shiv Sena (Thackeray) were among the protesters and they argued with the police to allow them to move forward. Congress General Secretary (Organisation) KC Venugopal told senior police officials that they should allow party leaders if not all MPs to go to the ED office in a vehicle.
As MPs decided to return to Parliament to raise the issue in the afternoon session, Kharge told reporters that the government was not allowing them to march forward and file a complaint for a detailed investigation on the Adani issue.
“The Modi government is encouraging such people who are looting the country. Everyone should know how this happened, who helped them, how a man with Rs 1,650 crore amassed Rs 13 lakh crore. What is the relationship between the Prime Minister and Adani? All these need to be investigated,” he said.
Inside Rajya Sabha, Kharge sought to raise the issue of Opposition MPs being stopped after Chairman Jagdeep Dhankhar allowed him but the House was adjourned within three minutes, as the ruling BJP MPs shouted slogans demanding Rahul’s apology.
The groundwork for the march was done on Tuesday and a final decision was taken at a meeting of Opposition parties on Wednesday morning. Sources said the complaint letter to ED has 16 parties signing it and it could have been more but for not being able to reach MPs of RLD and RSP among others.
However, sources admitted that it was a surprise that NCP did not join the protest or signed the letter to the ED while its leaders attended the meeting and stood with other parties in the demand for the setting up of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the Adani affair. A senior Opposition leader said the NCP MPs could not take a decision as they could not reach their leader Sharad Pawar on short notice for permission.
Trinamool Congress has been keeping away from the Opposition meetings and taking the road alone. On Tuesday, it held a protest on the Adani issue while on Wednesday, the Trinamool MPs protested on the price rise issue.
The Mamata Banerjee-led party is also taking a divergent stand from other Opposition parties on the Adani Group by not supporting the demand for a JPC probe. It is insisting on a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the issue.