MPs From 18 Oppn Parties Stopped From Marching to ED Office Over the Adani Issue

The TMC and the NCP, however, did not participate in the protest march.

MPs of 18 Opposition parties on a protest march to the ED's office on Wednesday, 15 March, over the Adani controversy. 

(Photo: PTI)

Several Opposition party leaders were stopped by the police on Wednesday, 15 March, while they were on a protest march from Parliament House to the Enforcement Directorate office.

Reason behind the march: Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge alleged that the police did not allow Opposition MPs of around 18 parties to reach the ED office to ask for a thorough probe into the Adani controversy.

What did the police say? The police, on the other hand, did not permit the MPs to march forward, saying that Section 144 was in place.

After being stopped in their tracks, the leaders returned to the Parliament complex.

"Opposition MPs of nearly 18 parties want to give a memorandum to the Enforcement Directorate on the Adani issue, but the government is not allowing us to march forward and the police have stopped us at Vijay Chowk," Kharge said, adding, "We want to present our case to ED for a detailed investigation on the Adani issue and we will keep trying to march forward."

Security personnel deployed near Parliament House ahead of the Opposition leaders protest march from Parliament House to the Enforcement Directorate (ED) office in New Delhi on Wednesday, 15 March.

(Photo: PTI)

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut also said that Opposition parties "will not be deterred" from their march.

TMC, NCP refuse to participate: The Trinamool Congress and the Nationalist Congress Party, however, did not participate in the march. TMC leader Sudip Bandyopadhyay said that the party would stage its own protest instead of participating in the march.

Several TMC MPs were seen raising slogans against the Centre over the rise in prices of LPG.

The march comes in the backdrop of the Opposition demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani Group following allegations made by US short seller Hindenburg Research including "stock manipulation" and "accounting fraud"

(With inputs from PTI.)