Among all the recent meetings that West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee held, more eyebrows are being raised about industrialist Gautam Adani’s attendance at Bengal Global Business Summit 2022, because Mamata Banerjee herself and her party have been doing relentless mudslinging against the Adani group.
On Wednesday, the Adani Group committed to invest Rs 10,000 crore in West Bengal over the next decade. Announcing the expansion, group chief Gautam Adani at the inaugural session of Bengal Global Business Summit 2022 (BGBS) said that the investment will help the state to generate 25,000 direct and indirect employment.
“What an honor to be at BGBS 2022 and hear Hon’ble CM Mamata Didi lay out her bold vision for Bengal. This is the land that gave India some of its greatest Freedom Fighters. The Adani Group is committed to investing and making a difference to this great land of Bengal”, Adani tweeted as he committed to bring the company’s best to the state of West Bengal.
What an honour to be at #BGBS2022 and hear Hon’ble CM Mamata Didi lay out her bold vision for Bengal. This is the land that gave India some of its greatest Freedom Fighters. The Adani Group is committed to invest and make a difference to this great land of Bengal @MamataOfficial pic.twitter.com/FIvU5hkBn0
— Gautam Adani (@gautam_adani) April 20, 2022
“Over the next decade, we expect our total investment in Bengal to exceed Rs 10,000 crore. Thereafter, as we continue to expand here, we will bring into Bengal our world-class expertise across the green energy value chain”, he added at the sixth edition of BGBS.
Mamta Banerjee led the government in West Bengal and held India’s first business summit after the COVID-19 period. She invited all the prominent businessmen including Gautam Adani, Ambani, Sajjan Jindal, and Kumar Mangalam Birla to the two-day event. According to the reports, Mamata Banerjee had met Prime Minister Narendra Modi last year and had requested him to inaugurate the sixth edition of the summit. But there was no clarity over the invitation even before two days of the event.
On December 2, 2021, Ahmedabad-based businessman Gautam Adani met Banerjee and discussed various investment possibilities in the state. Reportedly, the business tycoon met the Bengal CM at her secretariat office Nabanna in Kolkata and spent around an hour. He then confirmed that he would attend the BGBS 2022.
Ironically, Mamata Banerjee has been using the Ambani-Adani name for political mudslinging against PM Modi
It is important to note that Industrialist Gautam Adani’s meeting with West Bengal CM has been gaining attention on social media discussions because for months now, Mamata Banerjee has been accusing the BJP and particularly PM Modi of ‘favouring’ business conglomerates. Mamata Banerjee in the past years has not left one chance to use the names of Adani and Ambani for her political mudslinging against PM Modi.
Ahead of the West Bengal elections, in a bid to attack Prime Minister Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah, both Gujaratis, Mamata Banerjee had alleged that ‘Gujaratis are trying to capture Bengal’ by bringing in goons from UP and Bihar. “Gujaratis are trying to capture Bengal by bringing goons from UP and Bihar. We will not allow Bengal to become like Gujarat. BJP tries to create a communal disturbance”, the West Bengal CM had said in one of her rallies at Howrah.
Speaking today at the BGBS, Mamata Banerjee stated, “Forget if you are from Gujarat or Maharashtra, when you are in Bengal, you are our family member.”
Further, on March 28, 2021, CM Mamata Banerjee again in an attempt to target PM Modi had alleged that all the decisions taken by the Centre were only for Ambani and Adani. “They (BJP) have a lot of money so they are trying to purchase people. Modi is taking land. He will snatch away everything as Adani is his friend”, she had stated.
She had also slammed PM Modi-led government for the renaming of Sardar Patel Cricket Stadium at Motera in Ahmedabad to Narendra Modi Stadium. “Two brothers (Adani & Ambani) are there on the two sides (ends) of the stadium (Narendra Modi Stadium). ‘Hum do, humare do ho gaya'”, she had said. The stadium has sponsored pavilions named after Ambani and Adani.
Pertinently, Banerjee in the past had forced the Tata plant to shift its car manufacturing plant to Sanand, Ahmedabad from the proposed site in Bengal. Prime Minister Narendra Modi was Chief Minister of Gujarat at that time. The then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi had assured Tata Motors not just land at attractive rates to build a massive, state-of-the-art manufacturing factory, his government had also ensured that the plant gets built and starts manufacturing soon.
Adani’s business interest in West Bengal-
While there are speculations over the growing positive relations between Adani and West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee, it is worth noting that investment in West Bengal could turn out to be of huge benefit for the Adani groups in future. According to the reports, Adani was invited to the Bengal Global Business Summit in the year 2019 as well but he did not attend the Summit. His interest in West Bengal increased after Mamata Banerjee’s victory in the year 2021.
After meeting CM Mamata Banerjee in December 2021, Adani tweeted, “Discussed different investment scenarios and the tremendous potential of West Bengal. I look forward to attending the Bengal Global Business Summit in April 2022.”
Delighted to meet @MamataOfficial, Hon’ble Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
— Gautam Adani (@gautam_adani) December 2, 2021
Discussed different investment scenarios and the tremendous potential of West Bengal. I look forward to attending the Bengal Global Business Summit (BGBS) in April 2022. pic.twitter.com/KGhFRJYOA4
Adani already has an edible oil plant, Adani Wilmar at Haldia and a city-gas distribution licence in partnership with Indian Oil in West Bengal. But the group plans to develop the Tajpur greenfield sea port in East Midnapore, plus cargo handling at Haldia port. The group also has plans to expand operations in coal mining and ethanol production from rice husk.
TMC had accused the Adani group of crony capitalism, MP had asked the Finance Minister to investigate the company
TMC leaders have been using Rahul Gandhi’s favourite chant of ‘Ambani Adani’ quite frequently to launch political attacks against the BJP, however futile that may be. In July 2021, TMC MP Mahua Moitra had written to FM Nirmala Sitharaman saying that Adani needs to be investigated for Foreign Portfolio Investments (FPI) companies holding a significant interest in Adani group companies.
Written again to Hon’ble FM, RBI, CBDT, ED, DRI et all demanding urgent investigation into over-invoicing by Adani companies, roundtripping of funds & dodgy FPI investments
— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) July 26, 2021
Anyone listening? Or everyone in a glass house? @ndtv @IndianExpress @IndiaToday @EconomicTimes pic.twitter.com/HU3whG4Cra
“Written again to Hon’ble FM, RBI, CBDT, ED, DRI et al demanding an urgent investigation into over-invoicing by Adani companies, round-tripping of funds & dodgy FPI investments” Moitra had tweeted.
With Adani announcing a big entry in West Bengal, evidently, with the blessings of Mamata Banerjee, her jibes against the company and Gujaratis are perhaps another display of how politicians mislead the general public against job creators and business generators for narrow political gains.
