Congress Party senior leader Jairam Ramesh. File | Photo Credit: SHIV KUMAR PUSHPAKAR
Attacking Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his allegations that Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has gone “silent” in his criticism of top industrialists “Adani-Ambani” as they have bribed the Opposition, the Congress asked why the PM has not used investigative agencies against them if he has actionable evidence.
In a statement, Congress communications chief Jairam Ramesh said that Mr. Modi has “trapped himself” with his remarks and will find it difficult to “extricate himself”.
Mr. Ramesh said that the Prime Minister’s accusation — that ‘Adani and Ambani’ had supplied the Opposition with bags of cash, transported in ‘Tempo’ vehicles, describing the alleged cash as ‘chori ka maal (loot)‘ — is an unexpected attack on India’s ‘top wealth creators’ that raises several questions.
“How does the PM know that Adani and Ambani supply bags of cash loaded in tempos? If he has this knowledge, why has he not done anything about it? What has prevented him from using his pet investigative agencies against Adani and Ambani if he has such detailed and actionable information?” Mr. Ramesh asked.
Alleged PM-Adani ties
The Congress communications chief asserted that his party and Mr. Gandhi “have long questioned the PM’s close relationship with Adani and other monopolists”.
“In 2023, we asked the PM 100 pointed questions under the Hum Adani ke Hain Kaun (HAHK) series. Is the PM now breaking his long silence with a confession to the nation about receiving bags of cash in tempos? The close and durable relationship between the PM and Adani, and the length to which the PM has gone to protect Adani’s illegalities, is well known to most Indians,” Mr. Ramesh said.
Targeting the Adani group, the Congress leader alleged that his party had raised issues such as over-invoicing of coal imports, round-tripping of ₹20,000 worth of benami funds to investigative agencies, and the misuse of investigative agencies to hand over monopolies in airports, ports, cement, electricity and defence.
“It is very clear that the prospect of losing power and the likelihood of a JPC [joint parliamentary committee] to investigate the Adani MegaScam after 4 June 2024 has unnerved the PM. Ironically, he has trapped himself with his panicked remarks on Ambani-Adani, from which he will find it difficult to extricate himself. The chickens are coming home to roost, and the old order is collapsing,” Mr. Ramesh said.
