TNCC president K.S. Alagiri leading a demonstration against the Central government in Chennai on Monday
| Photo Credit: VELANKANNI RAJ B
Tamil Nadu Congress Committee president K. S. Alagiri, along with the party’s elected representatives and office-bearers protested against what he described as the “stock market manipulation of the Adani Group”, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s attack on Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and price rise, in front of Tamil Nadu’s Raj Bhavan near Little Mount in Chennai on Monday.
Speaking at the protest, Mr. Alagiri said Mr. Modi should explain where and how India has grown since 2014, and condemned him for stating that Mr. Rahul Gandhi has insulted India’s democratic norms in a foreign country. “After 2014, let Mr. Modi point out which areas India has grown in. India’s GDP growth has reduced. When former PM Manmohan Singh and former Union Finance Minister P. Chidambaram were at the helm of affairs, the GDP growth reached 9.6%. Can anyone say that the GDP growth has gone beyond that? Petrol and gas cylinder prices have increased, despite reductions in crude oil prices,” he said, adding, “Has procurement rates of farm grains from farmers increased? No.”
Mr. Alagiri also alleged that PM Modi made false statements and assertions. “Rahul Gandhi is worried that India’s rich democratic norms, nurtured by the Congress, are being weakened by an autocratic leader like Mr. Modi,” he charged, adding that the protest is to strengthen Indian democracy.
Congress Legislature Party leader K. Selvaperunthagai charged that the Prime Minister has favoured an individual to plunder India. “The Adani Group has not followed any of the rules created by SEBI. To increase the stock of the companies, they are using money from public sector banks and LIC. Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman argues that the stocks bought by PSBs and LIC have not reduced. However, yesterday, they have reduced by 37%. PM Modi has allowed an individual to plunder the nation. This is what Rahul Gandhi has been telling the nation and this is what he spoke about in England as well. The justice system, Election Commission, CBI and Enforcement Directorate are controlled by Mr. Modi and Mr. Modi has given this control to Adani,” he claimed.
Mr. Selvaperunthagai alleged that Central agencies such as the CBI and ED are used to threaten industrialists and political parties. “All Opposition parties are going to unite. Telangana CM KCR’s daughter Kavitha is being threatened with the CBI. However, the Supreme Court has formed an Expert Committee to probe into allegations against the Adani Group. I hope that the committee’s report brings out the truth about Mr. Modi to the people of India,” he said.
All India Congress Committee secretary Sirivalla Prasad claimed Mr. Modi has applied the ‘Gujarat Model’ of selling State assets to just one person to the whole of India. “Everything is being sold to Adani in Gujarat. Maybe that is the Gujarat model. Now, it is being applied to whole of India. PM Modi controls all investigative agencies. The common people’s money from public sector banks and the LIC has been invested in the Adani Group,” he claimed.