‘They will be exposed’: Kharge emails complaint against Adani group to ED

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Opposition parties in India on Wednesday amped up their protest against the Adani Group and also stressed on their demand for a Joint Probe Committee (JPC). Both Houses of the parliament were adjourned for the third day consecutively. The impasse remained over BJP ministers demanding an apology from Rahul Gandhi over his remarks in UK. On the other end, the Opposition parties marched towards Enforcement Directorate to lodge a complaint against the Adani Group, blamed of conducting stock manipulation by American Short Seller Hindenburg in their report.

The Opposition parties’ march was stopped by Delhi Police at Vijay Chowk and it fizzled out. Unable to submit the complaint, leader of Opposition and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge mailed the complaint letter to the Enforcement Directorate.

In this letter to the ED, Opposition parties have demanded an investigation into the matter citing its “serious implications” not just for India’s economy but most importantly democracy

The Opposition parties who rallied against Adani Group to ED included the Congress, the DMK, the AAP and some Left parties. They returned to parliament after they were stopped at Vijay Chowk .

Kharge, who led the march, said police did not let them go to the ED office as the government does not want them to demand a probe into the Adani issue. The Opposition leaders earlier met at Kharge’s office to coordinate their strategy on the issue

“… we will go back to Parliament… will raise this issue again… and our delegation of 17-18 parties will meet ED,” Hindustan Times quoted Congress’ Syed Naseer Hussain, adding, “We will go one by one… and lodge our complaints.”

“If ED will not lodge the complaint they will be exposed. Then we will release that complaint to you and create a ruckus in the Parliament.”

Opposition complaint letter to ED

The opposition drafted a two-page letter urging the ED to investigate ‘a relationship that has serious implications not just for our economy but, most importantly, our democracy’.

In their letter to the ED – which cannot act unless there is a police complaint – the opposition cited accusations against the Adani Group that say it has established a network of offshore shell companies and offshore funds linked to the group ‘for the purposes of (1) artificially inflating stock valuations and (2) to give a distorted picture with regard to the group companies’ financial health’.

The opposition further claims a ‘clear causal link’ between the offshore entities and the Adani Group’s Indian cos- a reference to Gautam Adani’s brother Vinod, who they say is ‘alleged to be the person crucial to setting up these networks’.

The letter also claims the group ‘repeatedly exercised improper influence to obtain concessions and contracts from governments and regulated entities’.

The opposition claims a tender for re-development of Mumbai’s Dharavi area, which it said was initially won by a Dubai-based company for 7,200 crore and then cancelled ‘because of delays in the transfer of Railways land’. The revised tender, the opposition said, was won by the Adani Group – ‘which has no known experience in urban redevelopment – for a sum over 2,000 crore lower.

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