Kolkata, May 22 (PTI) A pro-TMC forum of academics has urged President Droupadi Murmu to initiate a probe into the circumstances behind the comments made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi about hoarding of black money by corporate bodies.
The Educationists’ Forum, a platform of former vice-chancellors of state universities and senior professors, said that Modi had commented at a public meeting in Karimnagar in Telangana that two big corporate houses in the country were involved in hoarding, using and distributing black money.
On May 8, Modi accused the Congress for the first time of having a connection with Ambani and Adani. He had questioned whether the party received “loads of black money” from the two businessmen to make Congress leader Rahul Gandhi “abuse” them.
“Such an admission and elaboration regarding the existence of corruption, use of black money, illicit transportation of such tainted money by none other than the prime minister of the country has shocked the entire country and most adversely affected India’s standing as a constitutional democracy where rule of law prevails,” the Forum said in a statement.
It also flagged the recent advice by Amit Shah, Union Home Minister and member of the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, asking the general public to invest in stock market before the Lok Sabha elections results are declared.
Shah in a recent interview claimed that the market would rally after the formation of the new government.
The Forum wondered whether it was “an attempt to influence the political and electoral processes, presently underway, through economic/financial incentives and triggering the fear button among investors.” The Forum members urged President Murmu to have “a proper and thorough investigation of the content, implication and consequences of such statements.” The statement was signed by Prof Omprakash Mishra, former state minister Purnendu Basu and independent researcher of corporate governance, Prof Akhil Swami. PTI SUS NN
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