NEW DELHI: BJP on Thursday aggressively responded to Rahul Gandhi’s allegations against PM Narendra Modi over the indictment of Gautam Adani in the US, accusing the Congress functionary of seeking to undermine the PM without any justification.
While staying clear of the charges against the Adani group by US agencies, BJP MP and spokesperson Sambit Patra said the states allegedly involved in the said bribery – Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh – were governed by opposition parties during the period in question (July 2021 to Feb 2022).
“All four states that have been named in the document neither had our chief ministers nor a govt supported by us. They all had govts of Congress and its allies,” he said. This, according to Patra, suggested that if there was any malpractice, it occurred under the watch of opposition-led states, not under BJP governance.
Patra accused Congress of hypocrisy and sought answers from Rahul. “As Chhattisgarh chief minister, why did Bhupesh Baghel take Rs 25,000 crore investment from Adani Group? As Rajasthan CM, why did Ashok Gehlot take Rs 65,000 crore investment from Adani Group? Why did your CM in Karnataka Siddaramaiah sign an MoU with Adani Group for Rs 1,00,000 crore investment? In Bengal, where you have nexus, Adani group has invested Rs 35,000 crore. Tamil Nadu has an investment of Rs 4,500 crore,” he said.
“On Oct 19, 2024, why did Telangana CM Revanth Reddy take a grant of Rs 100 crore for skill development from Adani Foundation? While according to you he is a corrupt person. Congress and Rahul Gandhi should answer all these questions,” he said, adding that the law would take its course on the allegations against Adani.
Patra said Rahul’s allegations Thursday fitted the pattern of him, his mother Sonia Gandhi and Congress trying to tarnish Modi’s image since 2002, a reference to the communal riots in Gujarat when Modi was chief minister, but in vain.
The spokesman said Rahul alleged corruption in the Rafale deal in the run-up to the 2019 Lok Sabha elections and had also gone after the central govt over the Covid vaccines issue, adding the Supreme Court had dismissed the bribery charges in procurement of the fighter jet.
Instead of levelling allegations in pressers, Rahul should move courts and lodge cases if he believed that there was any wrongdoing, he added.
Patra said BJP had repeatedly moved courts and received favourable judgments in its demand for an investigation into charges of corruption against the previous Congress-led UPA govt. He said Rahul has been trying to target the Indian economy by making all kinds of allegations and over 2.5 crore investors lost a lot of money as the stock market tanked on Thursday.
Patra also objected to Rahul’s claim that his party had to do the job of judiciary as well, saying it amounted to contempt of court. “He does not understand legalities and technicalities around an issue and merely repeats what he is briefed by advisors,” he added.
