Patna, Feb 8 (PTI) CPI(ML) Liberation secretary general Dipankar on Wednesday backed the opposition’s demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the allegations of fraud against companies owned by billionaire Gautam Adani.
Talking to reporters here, Dipankar, whose party is part of the ruling ‘Mahagathbandhan’ in Bihar which elbowed the BJP out of power last year, also alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was keeping a “deafening silence” over the raging controversy.
“The rise of Modi in politics has been coterminous with the rise of Adani in the business world. And the PM’s cult of personality has affected the economic sphere as well. Earlier, like in all capitalistic economies, a number of companies were flourishing. But now just one is thriving at the expense of others,” alleged the CPI(ML) Liberation chief.
He said the Hindenberg report “may have spoken of only the financial misdemeanours of the Adani group but, in effect, it raises a bigger question mark on the government at the Centre which allowed all the irregularities”.
“The episode comes close on the heels of the ban on the documentary by the BBC and it certainly does not augur well for the image of the country at a time when the Modi government has been going gung-ho over G-20 presidency,” the Left leader said.
“Institutions like SEBI failed to do their job. It is, therefore, imperative that an impartial probe is conducted. And we are fully with the opposition in the demand for JPC probe,” said the CPI(ML) Liberation leader whose party does not have a presence in the Parliament.
Dipankar, whose party’s 12 MLAs support the Nitish Kumar government from the outside, refused to take queries on the banner of revolt raised against the latter by Upendra Kushwaha who has made public his reluctance to accept RJD leader and Deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav as the future leader of the multi-party ‘Mahagathbandhan’.
Dipankar was in town for preparations for a convention of opposition parties next week “to take forward the fight against Fascism”.
“All Left leaders have been invited to the inaugural ceremony on February 15. A special session will be held on February 18 which we have requested, among others, Nitish ji, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren and Tejashwi ji to address. The Tamil Nadu-based party VCK has also been invited,” he added.
Former Bihar deputy chief minister and senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi, in a statement, alleged that the Congress, Left and other opposition parties were being hypocritical with regard to Adani.
He cited the examples of Adani group’s huge investments in states such as Rajasthan which is ruled by the Congress and a proposed port project in Left-ruled Kerala.
Modi said Gautam Adani was even invited by Nitish Kumar to an investors’ meet in Bihar. PTI ANW NAC ACD ACD
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