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US charges in Adani bribery case have Opposition-ruled states: BJP to Congress
The controversy erupted after US prosecutors charged Adani, his nephew Sagar, and others for paying over USD 250 million in bribes to Indian government officials between 2020 and 2024 for energy contracts.
States that allegedly received bribes from the Adani Group in exchange for solar power projects were ruled by Opposition parties, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said on Thursday in response to Congress MP Rahul Gandhi’s claims earlier in the day that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was hand in gloves with industrialist Gautam Adani.
The controversy erupted after US prosecutors charged Adani, his nephew Sagar, and others for paying over USD 250 million in bribes to Indian government officials between 2020 and 2024 for energy contracts, to potentially earn him over USD 2 billion in profit.
“The way (Congress MP) Rahul Gandhi gives statements to sensationalise an issue is an attempt to attack the structures that protect India,” BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said during a press conference in New Delhi.
Patra said the states named in the indictment are Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Jammu and Kashmir and Andhra Pradesh, and “none of the four states cited in the US charges against the Adani Group had a BJP chief minister” during that period.
The response came after Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, took a swipe at PM Modi’s ‘ek hain to safe hain’ slogan. Gandhi said, “As long as the prime minister and Gautam Adani are together, they are safe in India”. He further claimed the recent case has put a dent in the Prime Minister’s global image.
In response to his comments, Patra said that not only Rahul Gandhi but also his mother Sonia Gandhi and his party have been attempting to undermine PM Modi’s image since 2002. “But the public knows who is credible and who is not,” the BJP leader said.
In his media interaction, the Congress MP said the recent developments vindicate his long-standing allegations against billionaire Gautam Adani.
“We have been raising this again and again and again. We have raised it with the Madhabi Buch issue, and it is a vindication of what we have been saying. The prime minister is protecting Mr Adani, and the prime minister is involved in corruption with Mr Adani. This is being indicated,” he said.
In response, Patra said, “We also know about your international structure involving Ilhan Omar and George Soros. Your structure is aimed at attacking the Indian market.”
He further questioned Gandhi over several investments Adani made in states ruled by the Congress and its allies, and demanded contempt of court action against the Congress MP for claiming that his party is doing the job of the judiciary.
