The Aam Aadmi Party on Sunday protested outside the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, demanding a probe into the allegations of fraud against the Adani group in the Hindenburg research report.
The party’s Delhi convener Gopal Rai said a joint parliamentary committee comprising members from various parties should probe the matter.
“BJP is running away from the probe. There is only one leader, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal who is not scared of any investigation,” he said.
AAP workers protest in Chandigarh
Meanwhile, the Chandigarh Police on Sunday used water cannon to prevent AAP workers from moving towards the BJP office here as part of their protest against the Centre over the Adani issue.
Aam Aadmi Party workers, gathered from various parts of Punjab, wanted to “gherao” the office of the Punjab BJP in Sector 37 here to register their protest against the party-led central government.
Barricades were put up and a heavy deployment of police was made to prevent the protesters from heading towards the Punjab BJP office.
Police used a water cannon when AAP workers tried to force their way towards the BJP office, said officials.
Carrying party flags, AAP workers shouted slogans against the BJP government over the Adani issue.
AAP MLA from the Jalalabad constituency Jagdeep Kamboj slammed the BJP alleging that it has failed on all fronts.
Later, police detained several party leaders and workers.
Earlier speaking to reporters at the party office, AAP leader Harchand Singh Barsat alleged that the Adani Group’s fortunes rose under the BJP rule.
Another AAP leader, Sunny Ahluwalia, said the party will continue to raise its voice over this issue.
AAP takes out rally in Kolkata
Activists of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) brought out a rally in Kolkata as well demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into allegations of financial irregularities against Adani Group.
The rally, which started at Wellington Square, was scheduled to culminate at the BJP state headquarters on Muralidhar Sen Street but it ended near the Calcutta University at College Street.
The rally participants alleged that the Adani Group, whose shares are experiencing volatility in the market following the Hindenburg report, has been favoured by the Narendra Modi government in various infrastructure projects.
They said that loans were also extended to the group by PSU banks and the LIC, exposing the general public’s savings to market volatility.
“We want a thorough probe into the Adani Group’s finances and for that, a JPC must be set up,” one of the leaders participating in the rally said.
The rally dispersed after its leaders addressed the participants near the Calcutta University at College Street, about 500 metres from the BJP state headquarters, a Kolkata Police officer said.
AAP holds protests in Srinagar, Jammu
In another development, police on Sunday prevented AAP workers from staging a protest outside the BJP office in Srinagar over the Adani-Hindenburg row.
Led by AAP’s central Kashmir youth president Jibran Dar, party workers assembled in Jawahar Nagar area and raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business tycoon Gautam Adani.
The protesters alleged that Modi was favouring Adani, but doing nothing for ordinary people.
Before they could reach the BJP office in the area, the protesters were detained by police and whisked away to the local police station.
The AAP also staged a protest outside the BJP office in Jammu over the issue and demanded a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into independent India’s “biggest scam”.
AAP workers led by senior party leaders assembled outside the BJP office in Trikuta Nagar and chanted slogans against the BJP-led government, claiming that Modi gave all resources to one person and made him the second richest person in the world.
Terming it independent India’s “biggest scam”, senior AAP leader T S Tony said, “In 2014, Adani’s assets were worth Rs 37,000 crore. They increased to Rs 59,000 crore in 2018, Rs 2.5 lakh crore in 2020 and Rs 13 lakh crore in 2022.” “We are here to bring the BJP’s direct link to this scam before the people… the exposed government is running away and not giving answers,” he said.
Tony, who is the chairman of the AAP’s minority welfare wing, also demanded a JPC probe into the alleged scam.
Opposition parties have been demanding a JPC probe or a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the allegations against the Adani Group.
Parliamentary proceedings during the first week of the ongoing Budget Session were virtually washed out amid protests by opposition parties, including the AAP.
RK Gupta, general manager at Garg Armoury, a gun house set up in 1949, told The Indian Express: “In the 90s, gun houses, with an elaborate clientele and dozens of employees, used to line Church Road… but now all we do is stare at the weapons, something that once used to be a prized possession.”
