The indictment of Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani by prosecutors in the US for allegedly offering Rs 2,029 crore in bribes to Indian government officials Thursday triggered a political firestorm, with Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi demanding his immediate arrest and alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was “protecting” him.
Gandhi made it clear that the Congress would raise the issue in Parliament, signaling that the Winter Session beginning Monday could witness stormy scenes. Gandhi and the Congress have been accusing the Prime Minister and the BJP government of providing patronage to the Adani group and helping his firm get government contracts in India and abroad.
Addressing a press conference hours after the US prosecutors in New York indicted Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani and six others, Gandhi said, “It is now pretty clear and established in America that Mr Adani has broken both American law and Indian law. He has been indicted in the United States and I am wondering why Mr Adani is still running around as a free man in this country. Chief Ministers have been arrested. Jharkhand Chief Minister was arrested. Many, many people have been arrested. Mr Adani has apparently done one Rs 2,000 crore scam, multiple others probably. But he is scot free. He is running around. There is no problem. There is no investigation.”
“We have been raising this again and again and again. We have been raising this with the (SEBI chairperson) Madhavi Buch issue. It is a vindication of what we have been saying. The Prime Minister is protecting Mr Adani. And the PM is involved in corruption with Mr Adani. This has been clearly indicated. We are demanding that Adani should be arrested… today itself… Madhabi Buch, who was his protector, should be removed and an investigation initiated against her,” Gandhi alleged.
On whether he would raise the issue in Parliament, Gandhi said, “We are raising this issue. It is my responsibility as LoP to raise this issue. The PM is protecting him 100 per cent. This individual (Adani) has amassed India’s assets through corruption, this individual supports the BJP… all these are established things. We will keep reiterating that.”
Asked about the fact that the US indictment mentions power supply contracts with state electricity distribution companies in Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and J&K, he said there should be action against whoever is involved.
“Adani should be arrested aur jo bhi is maamle main involved hai… us par karavai honi chahiye… Whosoever it is… Rajasthan is also involved… Some months ago the BJP government entered into a similar contract and Maharashtra too has signed such a contract. The same contract was there in Chhattisgarh. So wherever it has happened, be it the opposition government or BJP government, there should be an investigation and punishment. But the main issue is that the kingpin… should go to jail and he should be investigated and interrogated and found out who is behind all this.”Asked whether opposition ruled states should review projects allocated to the Adani group, Gandhi said there should be an investigation wherever there’s corruption, “but investigation should start from Adani”.
“In a way, Adani has hijacked India… the country is in Adani’s grip… India’s airports, ports, defence industry… it is a partnership. Modi on one side and Adani on the other,” he said.
The CPM too reacted to the development in a statement, which read: “It is shameful that such large-scale bribery and suborning of government officials by the Adanis had to be exposed not in India but in the United States through their criminal justice system. Gautam Adani and his business empire have had the full protection of the Modi government to execute his unlawful and criminal activities. Prime Minister Modi himself had shielded Adani from any enquiry or prosecution on the charges emanating from the Hindenburg expose. The CBI must be directed to immediately file a case based on the material provided by the prosecution in the United States.” (Express News Service)
