Opposition Calls Off March On Adani Row After Big Blockade By Delhi Police

A march by leaders of 18 Opposition parties to demand a probe into the Adani row was blocked by Delhi Police soon after it started from Parliament this afternoon. 

The Opposition leaders were trying to march to the Enforcement Directorate's (ED) office in Delhi to press for an investigation into the Adani-Hindenburg issue and to highlight alleged misuse of central probe agencies by the ruling BJP for political goals.  

Ahead of the march, Delhi Police had put up barricades and deployed a huge contingent to stop the protesting leaders from proceeding to the ED office.

When they could not move ahead, the Opposition leaders called off the march and returned to Parliament. They said they have sought an appointment with ED and added that they will release a joint complaint letter soon. 

"They have stopped us here. We are 200 people, and there are at least 2,000 police personnel. They want to suppress our voice. And then they talk about democracy," Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge told the media after they were stopped by police. 

"And if someone talks about these things in a debate, a seminar, they are called anti-national," he added, referring to the row over party leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks in London.

Mamata Banerjee's Trinamool Congress and Sharad Pawar's Nationalist Congress Party did not join the march today.

US short seller Hindenburg Research has alleged that the Adani group was "engaged in a brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud", and used offshore shell companies to inflate stock prices.

The group has denied the allegations, calling them "malicious", "baseless" and a "calculated attack on India.

The Supreme Court has set up a six-member committee of experts to examine issues arising out of the stock crash. The committee has been tasked with an overall assessment, suggesting measures to make investors more aware and to strengthen regulatory measures for stock markets.

The court has also directed market regulator Securities and Exchange Board for India (SEBI) to investigate the matter. The SEBI will also probe "whether there has been a failure to disclose transactions with related parties and other relevant information which concerns related parties to SEBI, in accordance with law", it ordered, adding that the probe will also look into whether there was any manipulation of stock prices in contravention of existing laws.

The Adani Group has welcomed the Supreme Court order, with Chairman Gautam Adani saying "it will bring finality in a time bound manner" and "truth will prevail".

While a section of Opposition parties have welcomed the Supreme Court order, another, including the Congress, have insisted on a probe by a joint parliamentary committee (JPC).

The Opposition's demand for the JPC probe and the government's offensive on Rahul Gandhi's remarks in London have led to an impasse in Parliament. The first three days of the second leg of the Budget session have seen frequent disruptions and repeated adjournments.