New Delhi: Launching a sharp attack on Indian billionaire Gautam Adani, who faced huge market losses after the explosive Hindenburg Research, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi linked his massive rise in business fortunes and personal wealth to Modi government.
Addressing the parliament, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said that from 2014 to 2022 – after BJP came to power, Adani’s business grew from 8 billion to 140 billion. The Congress leader said that in 2014, Adani was the 609th richest person in the world and in eight years he has become the second richest man.
The Congress leader alleged that from airports to defence, from electricity to maintenance of ships, Adani has always got the favour of Modi led BJP government. "When the government decided to develop airports, it was clearly mentioned that the companies that don’t have any prior experience will not be allowed to develop airports. But after the BJP government came to power they changed the rule and Adani was given six airports”.
“Not only that the most profitable airport- Mumbai airport was hijacked from GKV by using agencies and was handed over to Adani. As a result, 24 percent of the air traffic and 31 percent of air fret come from this airport,” he added. Continuing his tirade against Modi and BJP government, Rahul Gandhi alleged that Adani who didn’t have any prior experience in defence had the benefit of owning four major defence units.
“The Prime Minister goes to Israel and Adani ji gets the contract of supplying drones to the Indian army. He also got the comprehensive MRO for maintenance of ships”. “The Prime Minister goes to Israel and The defence relation between Israel and India goes to Adani,” the Congress leader said.
Though there was a huge protest over Rahul Gandhi's allegations, the unfazed Congress leader went on to allege that there was pressure on him from India to hand over the electricity supply contract to Adani. “The Prime Minister goes to Bangladesh and the contract goes to Adani,” Rahul Gandhi said. The Congress leader also hinted that the Indian industrialist was getting the benefit of his relationship with Narendra Modi since the time he was the chief minister of Gujarat.
However, there was a huge protest over Rahul Gandhi’s allegation. BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad alleged that Rahul Gandhi was raising allegations against the Prime Minister without prior notice and this cannot happen. He requested speaker Om Birla to expunge the version. Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju asked Rahul not to level “wild allegations” and instead present proof regarding the matter. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla asked Rahul Gandhi to focus on the President’s address and disapproved of the Congress leader displaying a picture of PM Modi with Adani in the business tycoon’s plane to highlight their alleged proximity.
Speaking in the Parliament after the completion of the five-month-long Bharat Jodo Yatra, Rahul Gandhi said that Agniveer has never been the choice of the youths of the nation or the army itself but it came from RSS and the Ministry of Home Affairs.
Giving a detailed description of his experience during his 3500 kilometres journey from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, Rahul said, "The youths of the country who rise at 4 am in the morning and do physical exercise so that they can join the army are never happy. They told me that previously after 15 years of service we were given a pension and in Agniveer we will be thrown out after only four years of service". "The ex-servicemen told me that it didn't come from the army," he added.
"If the youths don't like it, if the people who are in the army don't like it, then where did it come from? Perhaps it came from RSS or the Ministry of Home Affairs," Rahul said amidst disturbance from the ruling BJP MPs. "It was forced on the army. Perhaps it was Ajit Doval who had forced it on the army," Rahul said amidst protest over the mention of the name of 'Ajit Doval'' - the national security advisor of the country. Rahul, however, stuck to his point and asked why his name cannot be mentioned in the parliament.
Taking a dig at the President's speech in the parliament, the former President of Congress said, "I was going through the President's speech and found that 'Agniveer' was only mentioned once in the entire speech. It is such a big thing and it doesn't find any reference in the President's speech". "There was also no mention of unemployment and Price rise which I have heard from everybody across the country. There was also no mention of these things in the speech. The people of the country are saying something and the president is saying something," he added.
