Slamming the Narendra Modi government, Congress former chief Rahul Gandhi Tuesday questioned the meteoric rise of Gautam Adani and wondered if any “miracle” happened in his favor that his ranking in the richest persons’ list rose from 609 in 2014 to 2 in 2022.
In his address in the Lok Sabha, Rahul linked Adani’s rise with the Modi government coming to power in 2014.
Rahul said: “PM Modi goes to Australia and by magic, SBI gives a $1 billion loan to Adani. Then he goes to Bangladesh & then the Bangladesh Power development board signs a 25-year contract with Adani… In 2022, the Chairman of Sri Lanka electricity board informed a parliamentary committee in Sri Lanka that he was told by President Rajpaksa that PM Modi pressured him to give the wind power project to Mr. Adani.”
Rahul added: “How many times have you (Modi) traveled together (on a foreign trip) with Adaniji? How many times has Adaniji joined you later on your foreign trip? How many times has he reached after you landed in a foreign country? How many times has Adaniji bagged a contract in a foreign country after your visit there?”
Those with no prior experience in airports were earlier not involved in the development of airports, Rahul said, adding: “This rule was changed, and Adani was given six airports. After that, India’s most profitable airport ‘Mumbai Airport’ was hijacked from GVK (Group), using agencies like the CBI, and ED, and was given to Adani by the Government of India.”
He said he kept hearing Adani’s name all through the Bharat Jodo Yatra from the people.
“People want to know about Modi-Adani relationship. Rules were overlooked to favour Adani… From Tamil Nadu, Kerala to Himachal Pradesh we have been listening one name everywhere ‘Adani’. Across the entire country, it’s just ‘Adani’, ‘Adani’, ‘Adani’…people used to ask me that Adani enters any business and never fails,” Rahul said.
