NEW DELHI: The Congress on Tuesday said the “answers” being provided by SEBI chairperson Madhabi Buch and her husband raise even more questions and asserted that “the facts” that have been put out on their financial dealings have not been contradicted so far by anyone.Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh also asked whether Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and Prime Minister Narendra Modi were aware of these “facts” since 2022 at least and do they really think that these “facts are trivial” and do not, in any way, compromise the functioning of the capital markets regulator.His remarks come a day after Sitharaman said Madhabi Buch and her husband Dhaval Buch are defending themselves and putting out facts contradicting the allegations of Congress.In a post in X, Ramesh said, “The finance minister has finally broken the Union government’s silence on the issue of the multiple conflicts of interest of the SEBI chairperson. “She has said that the SEBI chairperson and Mr.Buch are ‘answering on allegations of conflict of interest’. But these answers raise even more questions,” Ramesh said. The facts that have been put out on the financial dealings of the SEBI chairperson and her husband have not been contradicted so far by anyone, the Congress leader added.”The question now is whether the finance minister and the non-biological PM were aware of these facts since 2022 at least. Do they really think that these facts are trivial and do not, in any way, compromise the functioning of the capital markets regulator?” he said.Has the Supreme Court-mandated SEBI investigation into the Adani Group really been fair, impartial, and complete, Ramesh asked. “The last has not been heard on this matter,” he said.To a question on her assessment of the situation involving Madhabi Buch, Sitharaman on Monday said: “Quite a few of the allegations have been answered. I think the facts will have to be taken on board.” This was the first time that Sitharaman had spoken on the issue.On being asked whether she was satisfied with Madhabi Buch’s answers, Sitharaman said, “I’m not here to judge that. ” In a joint statement issued last Friday, Madhabi Buch and her husband denied the allegations of impropriety and conflict of interest levelled by the Congress, saying they are false, malicious and motivated.
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