Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi addresses the media during the Winter session of Parliament,
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: As the Adani Group claimed that it has been indicted for fraud and not bribery in the United States, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday said the Narendra Modi government is "protecting" the billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani with the Congress pledging to continue to raise the issue in Parliament while demanding a probe by ED, CBI and SEBI.
Rahul, who is leading the campaign against the industrialist accusing him of illegally benefitting under the Modi regime, said Adani would have obviously defended himself against the charges against him but he has to be arrested.
"Do you think Adani is going to accept the charges? Obviously, he would have done that. The point is that he has to be arrested as we had said earlier. Hundreds of people are being arrested on tiny charges. The gentleman has been indicted in the US. He should be in jail. The government is protecting him," he told reporters outside Parliament.
His comments came as Congress MPs in the Lok Sabha and the Rajya Sabha submitted notices for suspending business to discuss the demand for constituting a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to probe the allegations against the Adani Group.
Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said the ED, CBI, and SEBI should be carrying out investigations proactively in the face of the revelations by the US and it is for these agencies to carry out their obligation to the nation, rather than "act as tools of a corrupt political-business nexus".
"Not surprisingly, the 'Modani' [Modi-Adani] ecosystem has let loose big legal cannons this morning. Now faced with serious action in other countries whose systems it cannot intimidate or erode, the 'Modani' ecosystem is attempting damage control through denial. This laughable attempt cannot dilute the seriousness of the charges levelled by US agencies. This is the moment of reckoning for our institutions and the Indians who occupy those offices. History will neither forgive nor forget this moment (sic)," he posted on X.
Ramesh, who is also the Congress Rajya Sabha Chief Whip, cited portions from the US indictment, which "clearly says" that Adani, Sagar R Adani, and others "devised a scheme to offer, authorise, make and promise to make bribe payments to Indian government officials in exchange for the government officials causing state electricity distribution companies to enter into PSAs with SEC".
Congress General Secretary and Rajya Sabha MP Randeep Surjewala said the Opposition did not disrupt the proceedings of the Parliament. "The Modi government has backtracked, as and when they hear the name of Adani, they run away, but why? What is the problem in having a discussion on Adani? Is he a member of the BJP?," he said.
Senior Rajya Sabha MP and Bihar Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh said the Adani issue has become big not just for India, but across the world.
"When the federal court of the US indicted Adani, many of his contracts in several countries got cancelled, including in India. I don't know what facts the government wants to hide and why is it having any discussion on this?," he added.