Rahul Gandhi Questions SEBI Chief’s Absence from PAC Meeting, Demands Accountability
NEW DELHI: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi intensified his criticism of SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch on Thursday, following her absence from a scheduled appearance before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in the capital. Buch was expected to address the panel but informed members that she was “not in a position to travel to Delhi.”
Addressing the issue, Rahul Gandhi questioned the reasons behind her reluctance to face the committee and raised concerns about possible protection being afforded to her. “Why is Madhabi Buch hesitant to answer questions before the PAC? Who is shielding her from being held accountable?” the Raebareli MP asked pointedly.
PAC chairman and senior Congress leader K.C. Venugopal, who was leading the committee, noted Buch’s sudden refusal to attend the meeting. This development has raised eyebrows amid ongoing controversies surrounding the SEBI chief’s alleged connections with offshore funds linked to the Adani Group.
Earlier, US-based short seller Hindenburg Research accused SEBI of being unwilling to act against the conglomerate, hinting at potential conflicts of interest due to Buch’s reported stakes in related offshore funds. However, in a joint statement issued in September, Madhabi Puri Buch and her husband Dhaval Buch strongly refuted these allegations as “false, malicious, and baseless.”
The Buchs asserted that these accusations stemmed from their Income Tax Returns, which they claimed were accessed unlawfully. Additionally, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera previously accused Buch of receiving income from ICICI Bank and ICICI Prudential while serving in regulatory roles at SEBI—a claim the Buchs have vehemently denied.
Despite the denials, the ongoing scrutiny has added to the pressure on the SEBI chief to clarify her position before the parliamentary panel, especially amid calls for transparency and accountability in regulatory oversight.
News Source : “Information for this article was gathered from a variety of reliable news outlets.”
