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'Is one man's business interest greater than national security': Report of Modi govt tweaking border security rules for Adani stirs political rowThe Guardian cited private communications and confidential documents to report that the Ministry of Defence amended security protocols to make sensitive territory on the India-Pak border commercially viable.
Shemin Joy
Last Updated IST
<div class="paragraphs"><p>Billionaire Gautam Adani file photo</p></div>

Billionaire Gautam Adani file photo

Credit; Reuter Photo

New Delhi: Reports about tweaking border security rules to enable the Adani Group to construct an renewable energy park in Gujarat’s Khavda, which is closer to the border with Pakistan, triggered a controversy on Wednesday with the Congress attacking the Modi government asking whether his “dear friend’s” interest is greater than national security.

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Claiming that BJP's “pseudo-nationalism face” has been once again “unmasked”, party president Mallikarjun Kharge asked why would the government allow a private project within easy striking distance of the India-Pakistan border and increase the defence responsibilities of the military and reduce the strategic advantage.

The remarks came as The Guardian cited private communications and confidential documents to report that the Ministry of Defence amended security protocols to make sensitive territory on the India-Pak border commercially viable. Earlier, no major construction beyond existing villages and roads up to 10 km from the border were allowed.

The Gujarat government, according to the report, urged the Union government to relax protocols to make the land in Rann of Kutch available for solar and wind energy projects while senior military officials had raised concerns about the move at meetings. However, it said, the Union government in May 2023 cleared the proposal.

It said military officials had raised concerns over having solar panels near the border. They also raised concerns over the solar panel size but the company rejected it citing changes were not financially viable, it said.

Accusing the BJP of endangering national security in order to “benefit private billionaires”, Kharge asked whether it was true that Modi has “gifted precious strategic land" to his "dear friend” and that the relaxation apply not just to the India-Pak border, but also on the borders with Bangladesh, China, Myanmar and Nepal “jeopardising” border security.

“What happens if there is the need to lay mines, anti-tank and anti-personnel mechanisms to be put in place? What about the concept of space and surprise in offensive and defensive operations? A senior Army officer has asked. We repeat the same question,” he said.

Congress General Secretary and senior MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra posted on X citing the media report, “Has the process of handing over all the resources of the country to the Prime Minister's ‘friend’ reached such a point that even the border security rules are being changed?”

She said, “The security responsibilities of the army are being made difficult to give cheap land and business benefits to the Prime Minister's friend. Is one person's business interest bigger than the question of national security?”

Congress General Secretary (Organisation) K C Venugopal alleged that Modi’s priority is not securing India’s borders but “filling Adani’s coffers” while asking whether the government is trying to make India's energy system a “sitting duck against our adversaries”.

“The Modi government’s cronyism is a threat to our national security. Allowing India’s largest solar project to be constructed hardly one km away from the Pakistan border is extremely dangerous and goes against all established military norms. What is shocking is that the BJP-run Gujarat government and the Centre held secret meetings to convince and steamroll military officials to award the project to Adani,” he said.

Venugopal said the Prime Minister and the Defence Minister must explain why such a “drastic step” was taken to “compromise our national security”. Congress Lok Sabha Whip Manickam Tagore posted on X, “National interest should always come first, not only Adani first."

Senior Congress MP Manish Tewari said if the media outfit has got its facts right, this will have “grave consequences” for India’s national security in event of hostilities with Pakistan.

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(Published 12 February 2025, 16:11 IST)