On 21st November, Bharatiya Janata Party national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla exposed the hypocrisy of the opposition parties, including Congress, in a debate with India Today journalist Rajdeep Sardesai over the recent allegations against Indian business conglomerate Gautam Adani. He drew attention to the fact that the opposition parties have been on good terms with businessmen whenever and wherever they’ve held power, awarding him projects but accusing him of corruption and attacking the saffron party when BJP-ruled states do the same.
He countered, “If Rahul Gandhi’s allegations are to be taken at face value, he is saying two things: Adani is completely corrupt and he has colluded with anti-national forces. By that logic how could you give any project to this man anywhere in the country including Rajasthan and Chhatisgarh (when Congress was in Power)? Adani’s visit to Sharad Pawar’s residence should be the most egregious offence. Tomorrow, he (Rahul Gandhi) should not sit with Sharad Pawar.
Poonawalla further pointed out, “You asked Supriya Shrinate a lot of questions but you didn’t ask her when Adani acquired the Mundra port.? When he did get the six SECIs (Solar Energy Corporation of India) that she was just screaming about. When did he enter the power sector and become the biggest power player? When did he get his first coal mine which was outside India? All during the UPA (United Progressive Alliance) tenure.”
He highlighted the blatant hypocrisy and stated, “I am not defending Adani. I am saying that if he is considered corrupt or has done something wrong then what allows the chief minister (Mamata Banerjee) to invite him and hand over Tajpur Port in West Bengal? If he is corrupt how come he is corrupt in one part of the country and not others? When Dighi Port was handed over to him by Uddhav Thackeray was he corrupt or not? Thirdly, I want to ask you a very specific question. The TMC (All India Trinamool Congress never demanded a JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee). I am reading an official statement of Derek O’Brien, ‘I appeal to the state governments to probe the Adani Group wherever they have a project.’ It is their stand.”
Taking Rahul Gandhi, Rajdeep, Supriya Shrinate and TMC to the cleaners on Adani issue pic.twitter.com/h7xcUBtp7X
— Shehzad Jai Hind (Modi Ka Parivar) (@Shehzad_Ind) November 21, 2024
On 21st November, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi demanded the immediate arrest of Gautam Adani and accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of protecting him. “It is now pretty clear and established that Adani has broken both Indian law and American law. I am wondering why Adani is running around as a free man in this country. It is a vindication of what we have been saying. The PM is protecting Adani and the PM is involved in corruption with Adani,” he claimed.
“American investigations have found him culpable in a Rs 2,000 crore scam. He should be arrested immediately. Madhabi Buch (SEBI chairperson) who has been protecting Adani should be arrested too,” he declared at a press conference in Delhi.
US prosecutors including Breon Peace with ties to anti-India billionaire Geroge Soros have charged Gautam Adani, his nephew and others with masterminding a USD 265 million bribery conspiracy to obtain state energy contracts between 2020 and 2024, drawing harsh accusations of corruption against the Adani Group, one of the country’s biggest corporations. However, the accusations have been deemed “baseless” by the Adani Group. The development has kicked a political storm in India with the opposition trying to exploit the opportunity for petty political gains.
