Synopsis
Congress leader Jairam Ramesh criticizes Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ties to Gautam Adani, stating they pose risks to India’s foreign policy and economic interests. Ramesh highlights Kenya’s cancellation of airport and power deals with the Adani Group following US indictments for alleged bribery.
PTICongress leader Jairam Ramesh on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ties with beleaguered billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani pose a tremendous risk to India’s foreign policy ad economic interests overseas. In a post on X, Ramesh said Kenya cancelled the airport and power transmission deals with the Adani group after he was indicted by the US for alleged bribery.
“It was expected to happen and it has today. Kenya has cancelled the airport and power transmission deals of the Modani Group.
“The non-biological PM’s long-standing relationship with the Adani Group is globally well known – and poses a tremendous risk for India’s foreign policy and economic interests overseas.
“Remember, former Kenyan PM Railo Odinga – who is under attack for favouritism to the Adani Group – admitted 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,” the Congress leader said in his post.
This was not an isolated instance, he said.
Yesterday, the High Court in Dhaka ordered an inquiry into Bangladesh’s “controversial” power purchase agreement with Adani, with the inquiry scheduled to be completed in two months, he said.
“Our nation’s foreign policy cannot be subordinated to the interests of just one business conglomerate. Modani’s sweetheart deals just bring us disrepute. This is a foreign policy disaster which will cloud our soft power for years to come,” Ramesh said.
Kenyan president Thursday said he had cancelled the multimillion-dollar airport expansion and energy deals with Indian tycoon Gautam Adani after US bribery and fraud indictments against him, one of Asia’s richest men.
President William Ruto in a state of the nation address said the decision was made “based on new information provided by our investigative agencies and partner nations,” without mentioning the United States.
The Adani group was in the process of signing an agreement that would modernise Kenya’s main airport in its capital, Nairobi, with the construction of an additional runway and terminal, in exchange for the group running the airport for 30 years.
The widely criticised deal sparked anti-Adani protests in Kenya and a strike by airport workers, who said it would lead to degraded working conditions and job losses in some cases.
The Adani group was awarded a deal to construct power transmission lines in Kenya, East Africa’s business hub.
US prosecutors indicted Gautam Adani this week on charges that he duped investors in a “massive solar energy project” in India by concealing that it was facilitated by an alleged bribery scheme.
He was charged with securities fraud and conspiracy to commit securities and wire fraud.
