Mumbai: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi addresses a press conference in Mumbai, Thursday, Aug. 31, 2023.
Credit: PTI Photo
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of “stopping” any investigation into Adani Group, top Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Thursday made a fresh demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the conglomerate’s activities following media reports that it invested in its own stocks through proxies for years.
Rahul, who has been continuously raising alleged irregularities in the Adani Group and the Prime Minister’s perceived proximity with Gautam Adani, said, “India’s and Modi’s reputation is on line” at a time G-20 leaders are arriving in Delhi for a summit. Modi should clear the air before the summit, he said.
“When you touch Adani, the Prime Minister becomes uncomfortable,” he said.
Addressing a press conference on the sidelines of a meeting of I.N.D.I.A parties in Mumbai, he said reputed global financial newspapers have reported that a billion dollars went from India, circulated abroad and then it came back to India and used by the Adani Group to buy infrastructure projects in the country.
“The question arises whose money is this. Is this Adani’s money or someone else’s? The mastermind is Vinod Adani, the brother of Gautam Adani, and Nasser Ali Shaban Ahli and Chang Chung-Ling, a Chinese national. Why are foreign nationals allowed to play around the valuation of our infrastructure projects?” Rahul asked.
“Why is this one person (Gautam Adani) who is close to the Prime Minister allowed to move a billion dollars to pump the group’s shares? Why are there no investigations? It is very important that the Prime Minister clears his name. He has to categorically say what is going on. A JPC should be constituted,” he said.
The former Congress president claimed that the Sebi official who gave a clean chit to the Adani companies is now a Director in a media channel owned by the conglomerate. “What is amazing is that the person who conducted the investigation against the Adanis is now an employee of Adanis. Then you can imagine the nature of the investigation. It is pretty clear that there was no investigation because the Prime Minister does not want an investigation,” Rahul added.
Rahul alleged that the Prime Minister “is not forcing” an investigation, though G-20 leaders are coming to India. He said they would be asking what is special about this company and why they are given free rides.
"The issue is that there is no level playing field in India and Adani can buy anything from airports to cement factories in this country. The question is why is the Prime Minister protecting one person like this?” he asked.
Rahul also said there is no difference of opinion among I.N.D.I.A parties on the issue of JPC.