Kejriwal links Modi with Adani in House

The Delhi chief minister was participating in a debate on a resolution moved by AAP MLA Sanjeev Jha in the Delhi assembly demanding a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into allegations against the Adani group

New Delhi

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal at the Delhi assembly on Tuesday. (HT Photo)

Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday attempted to link Prime Minister Narendra Modi with billionaire Gautam Adani, alleging in the Delhi assembly that the PM was helping the industrialist stay afloat despite his firms facing serious stock manipulation allegations.

Kejriwal was participating in a debate on a resolution moved by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Sanjeev Jha in the Delhi assembly demanding a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the allegations against the Adani group -- a demand that a united Opposition has been making in Parliament for the last few weeks.

“Despite the Hindenburg report and all-round criticism, PM Modi is saving Adani. In politics, perception is important, but Narendra Modi is not worried. SBI (State Bank of India) and Provident Fund Organisation, are being told to help him (Adani),” Kejriwal said amid strong objections from Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) lawmakers.

Hindenburg’s report, released on January 24, claimed “brazen accounting fraud” and “stock manipulation” by the Gautam Adani-led group. Though the conglomerate rejected the report as “unresearched” and “maliciously mischievous”, it triggered a massive rout of Adani Group stocks, with the flagship firm losing over $120 billion in days, and forcing the cancellation of a ₹20,000 crore secondary share sale after it had scraped through.

“Adani was not a friend of Narendra Modi but a fund manager. Adani is only a front; just the manager who manages all the money. The money is actually not Adani’s, it is Modi’s,” Kejriwal alleged, closing the debate on the resolution.

The leader of Opposition in Delhi assembly, Ramvir Singh Bidhuri of the BJP, intervened and said the chief minister was making baseless and objectionable allegations against the Prime Minister to divert attention from the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government’s “scams”. He also said that it was beyond the jurisdiction of the assembly to discuss such issues, and the discussion was held in violation of the rules.

To be sure, the legislators cannot be tried for defamation or any other proceedings over their statements made on the floor of the House. They enjoy immunity under section 18(2) of the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi Act, 1991.

“No member of the legislative assembly shall be liable to any proceedings in any court in respect of anything said or any vote given by him in the assembly or any committee thereof and no person shall be so liable in respect of the publication by or under the authority of such assembly of any report, paper, votes or proceedings,” the GNCT of Delhi Act, 1991 says.

Kejriwal has launched successive direct attacks on the Prime Minister in the last at least few weeks, something that was not seen for a long time after the 2019 Lok Sabha polls. The attacks have become sharper ever since Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia was arrested in the Delhi excise policy case on February 28.

BJP MLAs protested against the resolution, prompting the Speaker to send out two BJP members. Six others walked out in support of the two MLAs.

In the assembly premises, Bidhuri said: “The Arvind Kejriwal government is working in a dictatorial and unconstitutional manner. Keeping aside all the rules and traditions, such topics are being discussed, which do not come under the purview of Delhi administration. The AAP MLAs used indecent and derogatory language for PM Narendra Modi. They made objectionable and baseless allegations against the central government.”

He added that notices given by the opposition members to discuss the problems of Delhi were ignored and when the BJP MLAs protested against this, they were thrown out of the assembly. “We (BJP MLAs) will take up this unconstitutional and anti-national act of the Delhi assembly with the President of India,” Bidhuri said.