Hindenburg Research released the report on Saturday.
New Delhi:
In the central government’s first response to the latest Hindenburg Research report, Union Minister Kiren Rijiju said the Indian National Congress and some of its allies are trying to destroy India. He said the main opposition party and other parties have failed to win elections and are now aligning with anti-India forces.
US-based short seller Hindenburg Research on Saturday released a report alleging that Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairperson Madhavi Puri Book and her husband Dhaval held shares in offshore entities used in alleged financial misconduct by the Adani Group.
Asked about the report and the allegations made by the Indian National Congress party, Rijiju on Monday said, “You have to understand that there are many forces inside and outside India that are opposed to India and work against India. We have to be aware of those forces. Those who are plotting to sabotage India’s emergence as an economic power…I feel that the Indian National Congress and some of its allies want to destroy India. The reason they have not been able to defeat Prime Minister Narendra Modi is because the people continue to support him.”
“Elections have been held and a new government led by Prime Minister Modi has been formed. They could not win the elections and are trying to bring defeat to India by joining hands with anti-India forces. They cannot succeed as the people of India know who the anti-India forces are,” Rijiju, who is also in charge of minority and parliamentary affairs, added.
Earlier, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad also took a similar stance and said the BJP was behind creating economic instability and anarchy in India.
“After suffering a third defeat in the Lok Sabha elections, the Congress party and its closest ‘toolbox’ allies now want to destabilise the Indian economy. The Congress party has now developed hatred for India. It wants to take back ‘control’,” Prasad said.
The BJP leader also emphasised that India is a safe, stable and promising market.
“Personality attacks”
Madhavi and Dhaval Buch have accused Hindenburg Research of plotting a character attack on the SEBI Chairman.
“Hindenburg has been served with a summons for various violations in India. It is unfortunate that instead of complying with the summons, they have instead attacked the credibility of SEBI and attempted to attack the character of the SEBI Chairman,” the couple said in a statement.
Adani Group also said Hindenburg Research had “repeatedly asserted” that:
“To a discredited short seller under intense scrutiny for multiple violations of Indian securities laws, Hindenburg’s claims are nothing more than a subterfuge hatched by a desperate organisation with complete disregard for Indian laws,” the group said in a stock exchange filing.
(Disclaimer: New Delhi TV is a subsidiary of AMG Media Networks Limited, an Adani Group company.)
