Charges against Adani: BJP slams Congress, questions timing of development

New Delhi: The BJP defended Prime Minister Modi against a slew of allegations by the Opposition in the wake of US Department of Justice issuing a warrant against Gautam Adani.

BJP leaders said that all the state governments that Adani allegedly bribed in 2022 were non-BJP governments like that of Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The BJP also alleged that Rahul Gandhi was trying to tank the market to hurt the Indian economy.

BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malviya, responding to a post on X by Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh and said that all the states mentioned in the indictment were ruled by the Opposition when the alleged bribing took place. He asked Ramesh to answer about the bribes the Congress and its allies accepted.

“Besides, an Indian Court can similarly, on legitimate grounds, accuse American firms of bribing US government officials, to deny access to Indian markets. Should we then allow law to take its course and the concerned corporate to defend or plant ourselves in domestic politics of a foreign country,” Malviya further said in his post.

He also said that the timing of the report, which has come just before the Winter session of Parliament and ahead of Donald Trump’s impending Presidency “raises several questions”.

“That the Congress is willing to be a prop in the hands of George Soros and his cabal speaks volumes,” Malviya said.

Party spokesperson Sambhit Patra, addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, urged the Congress to file a case against Adani apart from its allegations.

“The matter relates to the agreement for sale and purchase of electricity, and the agreement with state distribution companies. Which are the four states mentioned in the US court? The matter pertains to the time between July 2021 and February 2022. All the state governments in Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha were non-NDA governments during this period. They had governments of the Congress or its allies,” Patra said.

He further alleged that Gandhis intended to “dent” Indian markets. “The Gandhi family and the Congress are unable to tolerate that we are moving towards being the third-largest economy in the world. That is why they are attacking the Indian market and trying to make it tank to damage the Indian economy. About 2.5 crore small investors who had invested in the share market have had to suffer losses today,” Patra said.