Opposition now mulling approaching President Murmu on Adani issue

After a march to the Enforcement Directorate (ED), the Opposition is now mulling knocking on President Droupadi Murmu’s doors with a demand to pressure the Narendra Modi government to order a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani Group issue.

Sources said the issue will be deliberated in one of the meetings of Opposition parties in coming days, as the Opposition plans to intensify the protest against the Modi government for not acting against Adani Group following allegations of stock manipulation and fraud.

On Wednesday, MPs from 18 Opposition parties marched to ED office to hand over a joint complaint, signed by 16 parties, to probe Adani Group. The decision to hold a march ED was finalised at a meeting on Wednesday morning during a meeting of Opposition parties.

Earlier, there were suggestions that the Opposition parties should march to CBI office also on Thursday but the idea appeared to have been binned, as leaders feel that it would not serve any purpose as they already have organised a march to the ED.

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It is against this backdrop that the Opposition is now thinking about approaching the President with a memorandum outlining their demands and explaining the alleged help given by the Modi government in the rise of Adani Group.

Sources said the Congress is also working to bring all parties together on approaching the President, as parties like NCP and Trinamool Congress did not join the march to the ED or sign the joint complaint.

NCP leaders claimed that they could not sign the complaint as they received the draft very late and could not get the approval of their chief Sharad Pawar. NCP leaders informed the Opposition about this during the joint meeting.

Trinamool Congress sources said they were routinely raising the Adani issue in Parliament and put the blame for their absence basically on Leader of Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury.

"We have also been routinely raising the issue, so not much should be read into our absence...Soon after we received the letter from Congress, we had conveyed our reservation. In Sagardighi bypolls, Congress joined hands with the Left and after their victory, Chowdhury has levelled baseless allegations and made personal attack on our leadership. How can our MPs then walk behind him?" a senior Trinamool leader said.