NEW DELHI: A full-scale conflict between BJP and Congress appears to be looming with the governing party objecting to latter’s plan to get Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee to summon Sebi chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch to face questions on the regulator’s probe into the allegations against Adani Group and accusing it of using the parliamentary panel to defame the central govt.
Amid reports about Congress’s plans for Buch, Nishikant Dubey, BJP member of PAC, has written to Speaker Om Birla against PAC chairman, K C Venugopal, accusing him of misusing his position, bypassing the PAC’s remit and working as part of a “tool kit” to damage the economy .
The PAC, as per reports, decided on Oct 4 to call Buch for deposition on Oct 24. However, a member claimed it was not discussed during the PAC meeting that took place on Oct 4 and, going by reports, PAC chairman, general secretary of Congress, took the decision “unilaterally”.
Dubey’s strongly worded communication is a clear indication that the BJP-led NDA, who are in a majority in the committee, are likely to resist any further move by Venugopal to put the regulator in a spot, signalling that its meetings over the issue will be stormy. The stance that other opposition parties take would be interesting to watch.
Dubey had earlier, at a meeting of PAC, objected to the plan to summon Buch in connection with the allegations led by US-based short seller, Hindenburg Research , saying that, in case of Sebi, the PAC’s mandate is limited to examining the use of central funds by the market regulator and does not extend to the scrutiny of its decisions.
