Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Thursday led the Congress protests in front of the office of the Enforcement Directorate demanding the resignation of SEBI chief Madhabi Buch and a joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Adani issue.
The chief minister who is also the president of the party’s state unit has come under fire from the Opposition BRS for signing memoranda of understanding with the Adani group at Davos this year for investments worth Rs12400 crore and protesting against the industrialist at the same time.
Meanwhile, two women journalists complained that they were attacked by groups of men allegedly Congress workers when they went to find out about implementation of loan waiver scheme in the chief minister’s own village Kondareddypalle.
The chief minister held a placard “Truth shall prevail” as he joined senior Congress leader Salman Khurseed and ministerial colleagues in a dharna outside the office of ED in Hyderabad. Addressing the gathering Reddy said “when the party gave a call, everyone, irrespective of their position should obey. That’s why even though I am the chief minister I have come to participate in the protest as a party worker.”
Slamming Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Amit Shah he said they were pursuing the policy of “Hum do, humare do” in a reference to their alleged proximity to the industrialists Ambani and Adani. He accused them of looting the country.
While Reddy demanded the resignation of the SEBI chairperson he also wondered about the stand taken by the BRS on the issue of JPC.
“Why are BRS leaders not questioning the BJP on Adani scam?” He also accused the BRS of spreading false propaganda on farmer loan waiver and urged the farmers not to get carried away by the canard. He accused BRS leaders of staging dharnas under the guise of farmers. He said he was ready to debate what BRS achieved in ten years and what his government did in ten months. Reddy predicted in the next elections BRS will not even get 9 seats out of the current 39.
Meanwhile, the BRS which held protests against the poor implementation of loan waiver scheme in the Assembly constituencies mocked the chief minister for protesting against Adani after signing deals with the industrialists.
BRS working president KT Rama Rao said “irony just committed suicide” and that the Congress suffers from “split personality disorder” over the chief minister’s decision to join the protests.
Accusing the Congress of double standards over Adani he said “Galli mein dosti Delhi mein kusti. Yehi hain Congress (Friendly in the neighbourhood, wrestling in Delhi. This is Congress,” while asking Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi to explain their stand.
Condemning the attack on women journalists he asked, “If loan waiver was implemented for everyone why was Revanth Reddy afraid of journalists?”