In the Centre's first reaction to the latest report released by Hindenburg Research, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju has said that the Congress and some of its allies want to destroy the country. The principal opposition party and others, he said, could not win the elections and are now aligning with anti-India forces.
On Saturday, Hindenburg Research, which is a US-based short-seller, released a report claiming that Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch and her husband, Dhaval, had a stake in offshore entities used in alleged financial wrongdoing by the Adani Group.
When he was asked about the report and the allegations made by the Congress, Mr Rijiju said on Monday, "We have to understand that there are many forces, both inside and outside the country, who are against India and work against it. We have to recognise them. The people who are playing games to hurt India's ascent as an economic power... I feel that the Congress and some of its allies want to destroy the country. They could not defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi because the country is standing with him."
"Elections have taken place and a new government has been formed under PM Modi. They could not win the elections and they are working with anti-India forces to ensure that India suffers a loss. They will never be successful because the people of India have realised who the anti-India forces are," Mr Rijiju, who holds the Minority Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs portfolios, added.
Earlier on Monday, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad took a similar stance and said the Congress is involved in creating economic instability and anarchy against India.
"After losing (the Lok Sabha elections) for a third time, the Congress and its closest 'toolkit' allies now want to make the Indian economy unstable. Congress today has developed hatred against India. What Congress wants is to bring back 'control Raj'" Mr Prasad said.
The BJP leader also stressed that India is a safe, stable and promising market.
'Character Assassination'
Madhabi and Dhaval Buch have accused Hindenburg Research of attempting a character assassination of the SEBI chairperson.
"Hindenburg has been served a show cause notice for a variety of violations in India. It is unfortunate that instead of replying to the show cause notice, they have chosen to attack the credibility of SEBI and attempt character assassination of the SEBI Chairperson," the couple said in a statement.
The Adani Group has also said Hindenburg Research has made "recycled claims".
"For a discredited short-seller under the scanner for several violations of Indian securities laws, Hindenburg's allegations are no more than red herrings thrown by a desperate entity with total contempt for Indian laws," the group said in an exchange filing.
(Disclaimer: New Delhi Television is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group Company.)
