Launching a fresh attack on billionaire businessman Gautam Adani, Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Thursday demanded his immediate arrest after the US Department of Justice (DoJ) and US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) indicted him and others for alleged bribery.
Gandhi, who has been demanding Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into alleged irregularities by the Adani Group, also demanded removal of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch accusing her of protecting Adani.
Notably, the Adani Group on Thursday denied allegations made by the US DoJ and the US SEC, and said all possible legal recourse will be sought.
Addressing a press conference at the party headquarters, the Leader of Opposition in the Lower House said, “It’s now pretty clear and established in America that Adani has broken both American law and Indian law. He has been indicted in the US. I am wondering why Adani is still running around a free man in this country, despite being accused of a Rs 2,000 scam and multiple others.”
In an apparent reference to the arrest of chief ministers from the non-BJP ruled states by the Central probe agencies, he said, “Chief Ministers were arrested. But, Adani is scot-free. He is running around. There is no problem, there is no investigation. We have been raising this again and again.” “Adani should be arrested immediately. Madhabi Buch, who is his protector, should be removed (as the SEBI chief). There should be a probe against her,” Gandhi demanded.
It may be mentioned that the Congress had demanded resignation of Buch following the Hindenburg Research report against her in August. The US-based short seller alleged that Buch and her husband Dhaval Buch had stakes in obscure offshore entities used in the Adani money siphoning scandal.
Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his “ek hain, toh safe hain’’ slogan, the Congress leader said, “In India, if Adani and Modi are together then they are safe. Nothing can be done to Adani in India.”
“Adani has committed a scam of Rs 2,000 crore. But, Adani will neither be arrested nor will there be any investigation because Prime Minister Modi is associated with Adani. He is protecting Adani. He is under control of Adani,” he charged.
In response to a question whether he would raise this matter in the upcoming Winter session of the Parliament, Gandhi said, “We have been raising this issue. It is my responsibility as the Leader of Opposition to raise this issue.”
Meanwhile, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge in a veiled attack on Adani said, “When a top ranking Indian businessman is indicted by a foreign country, it tarnishes our image at the global stage.” He said the Congress has been continuously objecting to “unethical” business practices which profiteer and promote certain individuals by implementing Modi government’s policy of creating monopolies in key sectors and concentrating wealth in the hands of few by giving “undue favours”.
“This entire vicious nexus involving cronies, compromised bureaucrats and certain politicians created by PM Modi and Adani has to be investigated and dismantled. This nexus severely hurts our people – poor and middle class, aspiring entrepreneurs, MSMEs, Startups and crores of small and medium retail investors, for it widens inequalities by snatching savings and opportunities,” Kharge said.
Attacking the PM, the Congress chief said, “Narendra Modi’s ‘ek hain, toh safe hain” is about one monopoly to protect the looted safe. A comprehensive JPC, which not only investigates every aspect of the working of the Adani Group, the deliberate institutional erosion of the SEBI, SECI and government bodies, and the deals of Adani Group in foreign countries is the need of the hour.”