Adani-Hindenburg row: AAP holds protests in Srinagar, Jammu; demands JPC probe

Srinagar/Jammu, Feb 12 (PTI) Police on Sunday prevented AAP workers from staging a protest outside the BJP office here over the Adani-Hindenburg row.

Led by AAP’s central Kashmir youth president Jibran Dar, party workers assembled in Jawahar Nagar area and raised slogans against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and business tycoon Gautam Adani.

The protesters alleged that Modi was favouring Adani, but doing nothing for ordinary people.

Before they could reach the BJP office in the area, the protesters were detained by police and whisked away to the local police station.

Adani Group stocks have taken a beating after US-based activist short-seller Hindenburg Research made a litany of allegations, including fraudulent transactions and share price manipulation, against it.

The Adani Group has dismissed the allegations as lies.

The AAP also staged a protest outside the BJP office in Jammu over the issue and demanded a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into independent India’s “biggest scam”.

AAP workers led by senior party leaders assembled outside the BJP office in Trikuta Nagar and chanted slogans against the BJP-led government, claiming that Modi gave all resources to one person and made him the second richest person in the world.

Terming it independent India’s “biggest scam”, senior AAP leader T S Tony said, “In 2014, Adani’s assets were worth Rs 37,000 crore. They increased to Rs 59,000 crore in 2018, Rs 2.5 lakh crore in 2020 and Rs 13 lakh crore in 2022.”

“We are here to bring the BJP’s direct link to this scam before the people… the exposed government is running away and not giving answers,” he said.

Tony, who is the chairman of the AAP’s minority welfare wing, also demanded a JPC probe into the alleged scam.

Opposition parties have been demanding a JPC probe or a Supreme Court-monitored investigation into the allegations against the Adani Group.

Parliamentary proceedings during the first week of the ongoing Budget Session were virtually washed out amid protests by opposition parties, including the AAP.