Congress Stages Dharna Over Hindenburg-Adani-SEBI Row

Telangana Congress leaders including Chief Minister Revanth Reddy staged a dharna at the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office today, demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) inquiry into the Hindenburg-Adani-SEBI row.

Prior to the dharna, the Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) organized a protest rally from Gun Park to the ED office. The demonstration was supported by Reddy (who is also the TPCC President), AICC Telangana in-charge Deepa Das Munsi, and numerous State ministers, MPs, MLAs, MLCs and party leaders.

During the protest, the Chief Minister criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly avoiding questions about the Adani scandal in Parliament and taking no action on the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).

"SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch should resign immediately, or the Centre should remove her. The ED should investigate the scam thoroughly," Reddy said.

He also asked why the BRS leaders were not addressing the issue, accusing former Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and his son K T Rama Rao of failing to speak out about the alleged corruption. Reddy asserted that the BRS's silence and apparent support for the BJP suggested complicity in what he described as the looting of the country's wealth. He urged the BRS to clarify its stance on the JPC inquiry into the Hindenburg-Adani-SEBI matter.

Reddy also criticized the Modi administration for increasing India's debt burden. "India's total debt was Rs 55,000 crore until 2014. Under Modi's rule it has surged to Rs 1.15 lakh crore in just 11 years. Modi alone has doubled the country's debt, surpassing the combined total of 16 previous Prime Ministers," he claimed.

He praised former Prime Ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi for their contributions to the nation, highlighting Nehru's irrigation projects, Gandhi's bank nationalizations and land reforms, and Rajiv Gandhi's technological advancements and local body reservations for women. Criticising current Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, he accused them of corruption and mismanagement.

"The BJP has become a significant threat to the country. It is the responsibility of every Congress worker to combat this menace," he said.

Addressing the controversy over the installation of a Rajiv Gandhi statue at the Secretariat, Reddy warned against any attempts to remove it. "Anyone who tries to remove the Rajiv Gandhi statue will face severe consequences," he said.

Reddy also criticized BRS leaders for allegedly spreading misinformation about the crop loan waivers and accused BRS MLA Harish Rao of theatrics without resigning from his post. He predicted that the BRS would struggle to win even 9 out of the 39 seats it had secured in the recent Assembly elections, if elections were held today.