Modi blamed for pushing Adani project in Lanka, Rahul slams BJP for 'cronyism'

Top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday targeted the BJP following a testimony of Sri Lankan electricity authority chief before a Parliamentary panel in the island nation that their President Gotabaya Rajapaksa told him that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was pressuring him to allot a wind power project to the Adani Group.

Rahul tweeted tagging a news report by The Wire, "BJP’s cronyism has now crossed Palk Strait and moved into Sri Lanka."

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge also targeted the government saying, "after handing over ports, airports, power, gas distribution, etc to one businessman in India, Modiji is now focusing on securing business deals in foreign countries. 'Pradhan Sevak' is only for the progress of A&A, not for the country."

Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) chairman MMC Ferdinando backtracked from his statement given to parliamentary Committee of Public Enterprises and told Sri Lankan media outlet News 1st, which had earlier posted a video of portions of his testimony, that he mistakenly said so and was "very emotional when allegations were levelled at him" at the Committee on Public Enterprises session on Friday. Gotabaya also denied the claims.

“I have withdrawn that statement,” he told News 1st.

On Friday, Ferdinando had said as per the video clip posted by News 1st, "on November 24, 2021, the president summoned me after a meeting and said, India’s prime minister Modi is pressuring him to hand over the project to the Adani group.” He was referring to a 500 MW wind power plant in Mannar.

Gotabaya issued a statement saying that he "categorically deny authorisation to award this project to any specific person or entity. I trust responsible communication in this regard will follow."

In Parliament, News 1st reported, Sri Lanka’s Opposition charged that an unsolicited government-to-government agreement to build a 500 MW wind power plant in the northern coast with the involvement of the Adani Group was the main reason to bring forward amendments to the 1989 Electricity Act removing competitive bidding.