Hindenburg-Adani row: Cong launches nationwide protests

TELANGANA: The Congress on Monday launched a countrywide campaign over the Hindenburg-Adani row by staging protests in different parts of the country.

Members of Congress in Telangana staged a protest outside the State Bank of India office in Hyderabad over the Adani issue.

The Congress also held a protest in Jammu over the Adani issue.

A video showed protesters clashing with the police, who were raising anti-BJP slogans. A protest was also held by NSUI (National Students Union of India), the student wing of Congress in Delhi who were demanding a Joint Parliament Commitee probe over the Adani row.

Visuals emerging showed protesters holding placards scaling over barricades set up by police to thwart the demonstrations.

It is being argued by the opposition that the investment of the Adani group in public sector banks such as the SBI and LIC has had a big impact on the savings of the middle class. Opposition parties on Monday protested near the Gandhi statue outside Parliament and demanded a Joint Parliament Committe investigation or Supreme Court-monitored probe into the Hindenburg-Adani row.

Opposition parties met in Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge's Chamber in Parliament to chalk out a strategy on the Adani row and other issues.

Those who participated in the meeting included Congress, DMK, NCP, BRS, JD(U), SP, CPM, CPI, Kerala Cong(Jose Mani), JMM, RLD, RSP, AAP, IUML, RJD and Shiv Sena.

A report by a US-based Hindenburg Research surfaced on January 24, claiming that the Adani Group had weak business fundamentals, and was involved in stock manipulation and accounting fraud, among others.

The report triggered a sell-off of shares of all Adani Group companies. Although the Congress is getting the support of other opposition parties on the Adani issue, it has to be seen whether the parties such as the Bharat Rashtra Samithi, Aam Aadmi Party and Trinamool Congress, which are seen together in the meetings, will join the Congress demonstration or extend moral support.

However, the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Janata Dal (Secular) have kept their distance from Congress on this issue.