TDP supremo N Chandrababu Naidu.
Credit: PTI File Photo
Hyderabad: In his first reaction to the Adani bribery case, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu said his government would study the documents related to the US court's indictment that are in the public domain and take action if there are any irregularities in power purchase deals soon.
During a short discussion in the state assembly about the indictment of business tycoon and Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani by a US court on Friday, Naidu said the allegations are damaging to Andhra Pradesh’s reputation. A US court indicted billionaire Gautam Adani and others for allegedly offering bribes to high-ranking officials in various states, including Andhra Pradesh, in 2021 to secure solar power sale deals through SECI. At the time, YSRCP was in power in Andhra Pradesh.
Incidentally, TDP, when it was in opposition between 2019 and 2024, was vociferous about the alleged irregularities in the SECI deal. However, now in power-sharing with BJP, TDP has been cautious in its approach to responding to the US court's indictment of Adani.
"I have all the chargesheet reports filed there (US). It is in the public domain. Will study it (the allegations and indictment). Will act on it and inform you. More facts are yet to come to light. The government is also thinking about what steps to take as facts are being unraveled as we speak. We will assess the situation, determine the necessary actions, and proceed accordingly. We must take action if there is wrongdoing. Only then can we prevent the recurrence of the same mistake. The issue that surfaced today has severely tarnished Andhra Pradesh's reputation and brand image. It makes me very sad," Naidu told the House on Friday.
The TDP MLA, Payyavula Keshav, who is now finance minister, when in opposition in 2022, filed a PIL in the state high court citing irregularities in the SECI deal. Interestingly, the NDA members targeted Jagan over the Adani Bribe Gate.
BJP MLA P VishnuKumar Raju said that there is a need to bring out the facts about the SECI deal as indicted by the US Court and said Jagan is involved in many such scams. TDP senior leader and MLA, Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdhary, had demanded a thorough probe into the Adani-Jagan SECI deal as indicted by the US court. He stated that Jagan's reputation as a scamster has spread throughout the country and even to the US.
Purandeswari faults Rahul Gandhi
Rajahmundry MP and BJP Andhra Pradesh unit chief, Daggubati Purandeswari, had questioned Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, on why he was holding BJP responsible since all the individuals linked to these corruption allegations were associated with the Congress party and none were from the BJP.
“This situation poses a significant question for Rahul Gandhi, since all individuals linked to these corruption allegations are associated with the Congress party and none are from the BJP. Let us not forget Adani’s proximity to Robert Vadra; how can he hold the BJP accountable?” said Purandeswari.