"Maha ghotala in Amrit Kaal": Opposition lashes out at Centre over Adani stock crash row

New Delhi [India], February 2 : Lashing out at the Centre over the Hindenburg report against Adani Enterprises, the joint Opposition on Thursday dubbed the stock crash a "Maha ghotala (scam) in Amrit Kaal" and questioned the government's "silence" over the issue.
Addressing a joint press conference at Vijay Chowk in the national capital after the adjournment of both Houses till 2 pm, the Opposition leaders also slammed the government over the rejection of their suspension of Business notices to discuss the issue.
Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge led the attack at the Centre and demanded an investigation into the matter under the supervision of CJI or the constitution of a Joint Parliamentary Committee.
"Either a Joint Parliamentary Committee or a team under the supervision of the CJI of the Supreme Court should investigate this," Kharge said.
Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh thrashed the Centre describing Gautam Adani as the "closest friend" of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"Why is the Modi government silent on such a huge scam? The government is silent because the man who is indulged in this scam is the closest friend of PM Modi. Adani opens fake companies in foreign countries, buys shares worth crores of rupees of his own company and takes loans worth lakhs and crores from banks. All those who invested money in Life Insurance Corporation (LIC) and SBI for their needs are worried. This is the Maha ghotala (scam) in Amrit Kaal," he said.
Singh demanded the government to hold a discussion on the issue in the House.
"...and conduct a Supreme Court-monitored probe and constitute a JPC. We will keep raising our voices in Parliament," he said.
Samajwadi Party MP Ram Gopal Yadav alleged that the people who have invested in the LIC and kept money in the banks are "scared".
"People who have invested in LIC or have money deposited in banks are scared. Those who are going to withdraw their money from the State Bank of India are being returned and told that there is no money. We are fighting for the people," he said.
Echoing the other leaders' voices, Bharat Rashtra Samithi MP K Keshava Rao said, "What can be a more serious issue than this? If the stocks crash by 27 per cent in one day, that means that man loses his credibility."
Trinamool Congress MP Santanu Sen hit out at the Chairman of the House and said that the repeated rejection of suspension of Business notices under Rule 267 is "against democracy".
"The way notices under Rule 267 are being rejected is against democracy. TMC demands a proper inquiry into the matter so that the truth can come to the fore," he said.
Several Opposition MPs have given suspension of business notices to the respective Houses of Parliament on the issue. However, both Houses were adjourned soon after the Session began till 2 pm.
The leaders who gave the notice in their respective Houses include Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge, CPI(M) leader in Rajya Sabha MP Elamaram Kareem, Shiv Sena MP (Uddhav Thackeray faction) Priyanka Chaturvedi, CPI Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam, Bharat Rashtra Samithi Lok Sabha MP Nama Nageswara Rao, BRS Rajya Sabha MP K Keshava Rao, Aam Aadmi Party MP Sanjay Singh among others.
The first part of the session will conclude on February 13. Parliament will reconvene on March 12 for the second part of the Budget Session, which will conclude on April 6.