File photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with former prime minister of Kenya Raila Amolo Odinga
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: As a controversy erupted in Kenya over handing over infrastructure projects to Adani Group, Congress on Monday attacked the Prime Minister for his ties with the conglomerate as former Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga said that it was Narendra Modi as Gujarat Chief Minister who introduced the business house to them.
Congress General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said the "Modani (Modi-Adani) is back in news - this time from Kenya" following the remarks by Odinga who defended handing over infrastructure projects to Adani Group in his country.
"Former PM Raila Odinga, who is under attack for favouritism to the Adani Group, now admits that he was introduced to the businessman over a decade ago by the-then CM of Gujarat, who also lobbied aggressively for the A Group. This was, of course, before Mr. Modi anointed himself as a non-biological PM," Ramesh posted on 'X' along with a video of the Kenyan former Prime Minister talking about Modi.
Ramesh's comments came Odinga said he was introduced to Adani Group by Modi when he was Gujarat Chief Minister and he organised a visit by a Kenyan delegation to Adani Group's projects, including a port, a power plant, air strip and a railway line developed in a swamp given by the government.
Odinga's statement defending the decision to bring in Adani Group came against the backdrop of the conglomerate's proposal to run Kenya's main airport running into protests and a court suspending it. The Group last week had inked a contract to construct high-voltage power transmission lines there last week.
The Modi government has been accused of favouring and helping the Adani Group when the latter pursues global business interests. Recently after Sheikh Hasina was ousted in Bangladesh, there were questions about the fate of a power project, which a section alleged was clinched due to pressure from New Delhi.
Earlier, an official in the Sri Lankan government had claimed before a Parliamentary panel that President Gotabaya Rajapaksa had in November 2021 told him that Modi was “pressuring him” to hand over a wind energy project to the Adani Group.
On Monday, PTI reported, Sri Lanka’s new government led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake informed the Supreme Court that it would reconsider the approval granted by the previous government to Adani Group for the wind power project.