New Delhi: Leader of Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Monday demanded immediate arrest of industrialist Gautam Adani after he along with his senior executives were indicted by the United States Department of Justice and the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) for alleged bribery and fraud.
The US prosecutors have alleged that senior Adani executives offered to pay more than $250 million in bribes to Indian government officials to obtain lucrative solar energy supply contracts.
Addressing a press conference at the AICC headquarters here, Gandhi also alleged that Adani was getting full protection of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and if the case is thoroughly investigated, the name of Modi will also come up.
Reiterating his party’s demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee into the whole issue, Rahul said, “Being the leader of the Opposition, it is my responsibility to raise this issue. Adani has acquired wealth in India through corruption. That is why we will keep repeating the demand for JPC”.
He said, “We demand that Adani should be arrested, interrogated and all those who are involved should also be arrested. We want to know who are the people who have hijacked this country and I can say that Prime Minister Modi's name will also come,” the leader of opposition said.
The former Congress President said, “It is now established in the US that Adaniji has broken both the Indian and American law and I am wondering why he is walking free in this country.”
Slamming Prime Minister’s slogan of ‘ek hain to safe hain’ (If we are united, we are safe), Gandhi said, “Narendra Modi and Adani are together in India, then they are safe. I can say this with guarantee that Adani will never be arrested as Modi will not allow this to happen”.
“Here a Chief Minister is sent to jail and Adani is roaming free after committing a scam of Rs 2,000 crore. He has the protection of Narendra Modi ,” Rahul alleged.
He also alleged that SEBI Chairperson Madhabi Buch was also protecting Adani and demanded her immediate removal.
Alleging the entire issue as a ‘financial, political and bureaucratic network’, Gandhi said, “ We will expose their entire network and tell you who are those people who have hijacked India”.
Meanwhile, Adani Group has dismissed the bribery allegations as baseless.
"The allegations made by the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission against directors of Adani Green are baseless and denied," Adani group spokesperson said in a media statement.
The spokesperson said that as stated by the US Department of Justice itself, "the charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty."
"All possible legal recourse will be sought," the spokesperson said.
