jj correspondent
Jammu, Mar 28: Former Union Minister and Senior AICC Leader AjayMaken on Tuesday said that it is not only Rahul Gandhi, who has been disqualified but in fact democracy has been disqualified, while charging that ‘This whole drama has been orchestrated to defend the Prime Minister from the simple question whose Rs. 20,000 crores went to Adani’s shell companies.”
“The entire episode on Rahul Gandhi is a counter attack to defend the Prime Minister from answering the simple question- “whose Rs. 20,000 crores went to Adani’s shell companies” and questioning the relationship between Adani and PM Modi in the Lok Sabha by Rahul Gandhi on February 7, this year,” said Maken addressing a press conference here.
Reiterating the Congress demand that JPC be constituted to inquire Modani Scam, Maken said, “Congress is fighting for the restoration of Democracy, for protecting interests of Small Investors, LIC policy holders, and EPFO depositors, against the selling of National Assets to Monopolies at throwaway prices, against compromising on strategic defence matters.”
He referred to the sequences of events leading to the disqualification issue to substantiate his charge against BJP.
He explained that on Apr 13, 2019 Rahul Gandhi made election speech in Kolar, Karnataka; on Apr 16, 2019 a BJP MLA filed a complaint in Surat, Gujarat; on Mar 7, 2022 the complainant sought a stay from Gujarat HC on his own complaint on which the stay was granted.
“Why is the BJP protecting fraudsters? Congress fights for small investors, for Rs 30 crores LIC policyholders, for EPFO depositors. The value of Adani Group stock crashed by ?10,50,000 crore between January 24 and February 15, 2023. On July 19, 2021, the Ministry of Finance admitted in Parliament that the Adani Group was under investigation for violating SEBI regulations. Yet Adani Group stock prices were allowed to spiral. The value of Adani Group stocks held by LIC fell from Rs. 83,000 crores on December 30, 2022 to Rs. 39,000 crores on February 15, 2023, an erosion of Rs. 44,000 crores in the equity holdings of 30 crore LIC policyholders,” he added.
He asserted that Rahul Gandhi and the Congress will not get scared.
“During the Bharat Jodo Yatra, we went directly to the people and heard their concerns – inflation, unemployment, social polarisation, and the capture of institutions to benefit Adani and a few other crony capitalists. We will continue to raise these issues of the people, and continue to send our message directly to the people,” said Maken.
Maken said, “Kauravas also had a lot of power, money, army but did not have truth. Truth is not with you today. The public is not with you. This injustice of yours, your arrogance has closed your eyes.”
Maken also referred to various Legal aspects to explain his point of view and said that criminal defamation complaints should be filed by the person against whom the remarks were made, who should also prove how they were injured personally.
“In this case, the persons who were named did not file the case, and the person who filed the case was not named. Rhetorical remarks in a speech made in Kolar, Karnataka have been tried in Surat. Section 202 of CrPC mandates a preliminary inquiry by the Magistrate to satisfy himself that he has jurisdiction to proceed,” said the former Minister.
There has not been any such inquiry as mandated by law, he added and said, “malicious intent is essential to defame someone. The speech was made in Kolar rally while addressing the public on price rise and unemployment. The agenda was not to defame anyone but to raise the issue of public corruption and the welfare of the public.” UNI
