Rahul Gandhi also attacked SEBI chairperson Madhabi Buch alleging that she is "corrupt" and she is protecting Gautam Adani.
Congress leader and Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi called for the immediate arrest of industrialist Gautam Adani on Thursday, following charges filed against him in the US for alleged bribery and fraud. Speaking at a press conference hours after US prosecutors accused Adani and his associates of paying over $250 million in bribes to Indian officials, Gandhi said the charges clearly show that Adani has violated both Indian and US laws.
Gandhi also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Ek hain to safe hain” slogan, suggesting that as long as Modi and Adani remain aligned, they will be shielded in India.
Gandhi called for Adani’s immediate arrest and questioning, and demanded the removal of Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch, accusing her of being a “protector” of Adani.
He said that the matter would come to Parliament during the Winter session, which begins on Monday.
He reaffirmed the demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the matter made by the opposition, claiming that Adani would not be arrested or questioned in India. The Modi government was behind the protection, claimed Gandhi, who was adamant that the probe should be held across states regardless of the ruling party.
In a statement, Breon Peace, US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, which brought the case, said the defendants orchestrated an "elaborate scheme to bribe Indian government officials to win contracts worth billions of dollars." Adani, chairman of the ports-to-energy Adani Group, his nephew Sagar R Adani, an executive director at the conglomerate's renewable energy arm Adani Green Energy Ltd, and its former chief executive Vneet Jaain have been charged with securities fraud, securities fraud conspiracy, and wire fraud conspiracy.
It's not like nothing has happened; the PM's credibility has been severely damaged. Unfortunately, no government institution will hold Mr. Adani accountable because the entire government is under the PM's control.
We've successfully shown the youth of this country that Mr.… pic.twitter.com/SWLXtkKUgs — Congress (@INCIndia) November 21, 2024
The Adanis were also charged in a US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) civil case. The five-count indictment also accuses Sagar and Jain of breaking federal laws.
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A US District Court, SEC indict Gautam Adani, other group executives on bribery charges pertaining to solar energy contracts. @Parikshitl gives you an overview#adani #adanigroup #gautamadani #usa #uscourt #bribery #fraud #bribe #cnbctv18digital pic.twitter.com/nSyZKdd6Tf — CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18News) November 21, 2024