Political slugfest over Adani: BJP vs Others

Rahul demands Adani’s immediate arrest

BJP says Adani invested in Congress-ruled states

New Delhi: Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday demanded the immediate arrest of Gautam Adani after the billionaire industrialist was charged in the US for alleged bribery and fraud.

Addressing a press conference here hours after the US prosecutors charged Adani and associates for allegedly paying USD 250 million bribe to Indian officials, the Congress leader said it is now pretty clear and established in the US that the businessman has broken Indian as well as American laws.

The Adani group denied the charges, saying the allegations by US prosecutors are baseless and the conglomerate is compliant with all laws. It also said that all possible legal recourse will be sought.

Gandhi said Adani should be arrested immediately and interrogated while his “protector” and SEBI chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch should be removed from her post and a probe should be initiated.

He further said he will raise the issue during the Winter session of Parliament beginning Monday. The entire opposition is together on the matter and will jointly raise the issue, he said.

He said the opposition’s demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the transactions of the Adani Group stands.

“I can guarantee that Adani won’t be arrested or investigated in India because the Modi government is protecting him,” Gandhi alleged.

When pointed out that nothing was happening in India against Adani despite Gandhi raising the issue several times, the leader of opposition in the Lok Sabha said a lot has happened ever since he started raising the Adani issue.

“The PM’s credibility has been destroyed. The entire country knows they Adani and PM are one. We will expose everyone and the entire network. Madhabi Buch was the first example,” he said.

“India is in the grip of Adani. Adani is controlling India. We will not spare them,” Gandhi said. “I’m confident we will work slowly and in the end, we will dismantle this structure.”

“This is a political-financial-bureaucracy network as it captures India’s political system (on one hand) with money and on the other hand, they work for profit. It is a virtuous cycle which is negative for the country,” he said.

Gandhi said criminality and corruption are two different issues. But if Adani is working under due process, we don’t have a problem,” the senior Congress leader said.

“It is up to the government to investigate. Catch Adani and put him behind bars.”

Gandhi claimed the retail and small investors would suffer losses because of this and stressed that it was his job as the leader of opposition to warn them.

He said investigations should cover all states, irrespective of which party was in power.

“It is now pretty clear and established in the US that Mr Adani has broken both American and Indian laws. I’m wondering why Adani is running around a free man,” he said.

The former Congress chief said while chief ministers have been arrested for smaller allegations, Adani has been involved in a Rs 2,000 crore scam and he is still going scot-free.

Gandhi said the charges made by US prosecutors against Adani and his associates “is a vindication of what we have been saying”.

Accusing Prime Minister Modi of protecting Adani, the former Congress chief said, “The PM is clearly protecting him. It is my job to raise this issue. We want Adani to be arrested immediately.”

“We want to show the country that Adani ji will not be arrested because the PM is protecting him,” he said, adding, “Even after a scam of Rs 2,000 crore, I guarantee he will neither be arrested nor will there be any probe against him.”

Asked about some states ruled by non-BJP parties being named by the US prosecutors, he said, “Wherever this has happened, be it any government, there should be an investigation. But the one involved in the corruption should be jailed.”

Rahul, Congress trying to target Modi’s image: BJP

The BJP on Thursday dubbed Rahul Gandhi’s attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi as part of his long-running efforts to target its leader, and noted that none of the four states named in American courts had a BJP government.

Addressing a press conference, BJP spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra made it clear that as far as allegations against the Adani group are concerned it is for the company to issue a clarification and defend itself.

“Law will take its own course,” he said, while keeping the focus on Gandhi’s allegations against the prime minister and the BJP government at the Centre.

Since 2002, Rahul Gandhi, his mother Sonia Gandhi and the Congress have been trying to tarnish Modi’s image, but they have not succeeded and the prime minister received the highest civilian award in a foreign country on a day the opposition party was attacking him, the BJP leader said.

Rahul Gandhi claimed in his press conference that the opposition has been successful in destroying Modi’s credibility over his alleged proximity to the business tycoon.

Citing the Adani group’s investment in various states ruled by the Congress and its allies, Patra noted that it invested Rs 25k crore and Rs 65k crore in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan when Bhupesh Baghel and Ashok Gehlot were at the helm there respectively.

The conglomerate invested Rs 45k crore in the DMK-ruled Tamil Nadu and had recently given Rs 100 crore donation to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy for a skill development foundation, he added.

If Adani is “corrupt”, then why are the Congress governments seeking investment from his company, he asked.

The billionaire industrialist has been charged by US prosecutors for allegedly being part of a scheme to pay over USD 250 million (about Rs 2,100 crore) bribe to Indian officials in exchange of favourable terms for solar power contracts.

This was concealed from the US banks and investors from whom the Adani group raised billions of dollars for the project, the prosecutors have alleged. US law allows pursuing foreign corruption allegations if they involve certain links to American investors or markets.

Kejriwal stopped Adani Group: AAP

The Adani group tried to enter Delhi’s power sector but was stopped by then chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh claimed. He claimed that Adani Green Energy secured power supply contracts in several states, including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan, through unethical means.

“Adani even attempted to enter Delhi’s electricity market but failed because then chief minister Arvind Kejriwal stopped them,” he said while warning people that if the BJP gains power in Delhi, electricity costs could surge.

“We will not keep quiet and will raise this matter with full force in the upcoming session of Parliament,” Singh added.

TN has nothing to do with Adani’s firm: minister

Electricity Minister V Senthil Balaji on Thursday asserted that Tamil Nadu government run electricity corporation has no commercial relationship with Gautam Adani’s company and that the state has an understanding to buy power only from a Central government firm.

“I would like to first clarify that as regards TANGEDCO (TN Generation and Districution Corporation), there has been no kind of commercial relationship with Adani’s company during the past three years (after the DMK assumed power in May 2021),” he said.

Taking into account the electricity requirements of the state, Tamil Nadu inked a pact for procurement of 1,500 MW, with the Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited, a Central government company, at a very competitive price of Rs 2.61 (per unit), he said adding “there is no direct contact with Adani firm.”