Was Parliament misled, asks Congress; govt stands by MoS reply in Lok Sabha

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, May 15

With the SEBI on Monday telling the Supreme Court it was not investigating any Adani firm since 2016 as claimed, the Congress recalled a related July 2021 reply to the Lok Sabha by Minister of State for Finance and asked if Parliament was misled on the issue.

Fast asleep

The MoS for Finance told the Lok Sabha on 19th July, 2021, that SEBI was investigating the Adani Group. Now SEBI tells the SC they have not been investigating any of the serious allegations against Adani! Which is worse—misleading Parliament or being fast asleep...? Jairam Ramesh, Congress leader

As political slugfest on the issue ensued, the Ministry of Finance, replying to AICC general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh’s tweet on “Parliament being misled”, said: “The government stands by its reply in the Lok Sabha on July 19, 2021, to question number 72 which was based on due diligence and inputs from all concerned agencies.”

The reply Jairam posted came in response to a question by Trinamool MP Mahua Moitra on whether any Adani entities were under investigation by the SEBI, IT, ED or DRI for suspicious transactions.

MoS Finance Pankaj Chaudhary, in his response, said, “Yes, SEBI is investigating some Adani Group companies with regard to compliance with SEBI regulations. Further, the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence (DRI) is investigating certain entities belonging to the Adani Group of Companies under laws administered by it. As far as investigation under the Income Tax Act:1961 is concerned, disclosure of information regarding specific taxpayers is prohibited except as provided under Section 138 of the Act. No such investigation is going on in the Enforcement Directorate.”

The MoS in his reply said that in the matter pertaining to issuance of Global Depository Receipts by certain Indian listed companies, the SEBI had directed depositories to freeze particular beneficiary accounts of certain Foreign Portfolio Investors.

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