TMC MPs demanded the arrest of industrialist Gautam Adani at the offices of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, the Enforcement Directorate, and the Central Bureau of Investigation on Thursday.
The delegations included Rajya Sabha and Lok Sabha members of the Trinamool Congress (TMC), which has been seeking his arrest for the last week, saying that he is responsible for financial violations of approximately Rs 1.20 lakh crore that belong to the ordinary people.
Taking to the Twitter, TMC stated: "PM @narendramodi's (Narendra Modi) government cares more about Gautam Adani than having a transparent image! Our MPs handed over signed caps in protest to the Finance Ministry, ED, and CBI officials. @BJP4India's tactic of disrupting the Parliament to avoid any discussion on this issue won't work!"
"We will not succumb to the menace of corruption! We will resolutely persevere in our battle for justice and accountability!" it said.
The delegations that visited the offices of Sitharaman, the ED, and the CBI included TMC Lok Sabha members Pratima Mondal, Abu Taher Khan, Khalilur Rahaman, Sunil Kumar Mondal, and Aparupa Poddar, as well as Rajya Sabha members Dola Sen, Santanu Sen, Abir Ranjan Biswas, Mausam Noor, Sushmita Dev, and Shanta Chhetri.
TMC MPs who visited the CBI officer said they were not permitted to enter the premises and were videotaped without their permission.
"Barring our leaders' entry into the CBI Office is a clear indication that the corrupt are running scared. We demand the arrest of Adani," TMC MP Dola Sen said.
In addition to its allegations against Adani, the TMC asked the prime minister in Parliament why the industrialist had not yet been arrested and where the monies in the State Bank of India and the Life Insurance Corporation were placed.
Adani Group shares had plummeted on the bourses after Hindenburg Research levelled a slew of claims against the group, including illegal transactions and share-price manipulation. The Gautam Adani-led group has denied the allegations, claiming that it complies with all regulations and transparency obligations.
Derek O' Brien, a TMC Rajya Sabha member, said that the Union is starving West Bengal by failing to pay its MGNREGA dues.
Party chairman and Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee said at a news conference today that she will hold a dharna beside the Ambedkar Statue on Kolkata's Red Road on March 29 and 30 to protest the Centre's attitude towards not just West Bengal but numerous other states. He stated that West Bengal had been cheated out of Rs 7,500 crore under the MGNREGA category alone, and that fewer than 3% of households engaged under the job guarantee plan had received 100 days of labour.
He asserted that the average number of work days for MGNREGA is merely 42.
"The actual expenditure of MGNREGA is 1 lakh crore. When it comes to the number of workers, West Bengal is number one among all other states. For the past two years now, the labourers of West Bengal are being deprived of their rights and the central government is responsible for the same," the MP was quoted by PTI in its report.
"The last wage instalment of MGNREGA for Bengal was made in 2021 and over 3.7 crore workers have not been paid. MGNREGA is a right and not a charity. The central government should give us our due. They have even reduced the budget for MGNREGA from Rs 72,000 crore to around Rs 60,000 crore," O'Brien said.