Thursday, 21 November 2024
Thursday, 21 November 2024
The fuse was lit in New York, the explosion is rocking India.
Late on Wednesday, Gautam Adani, chairman of the Adani Group, and two executives at Adani Green Energy – his nephew Sagar Adani and Vneet Jaain – were accused in the US of agreeing to pay over $250 million in bribes to Indian government officials to win “lucrative solar energy supply contracts”.
Breon Peace, the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, said in a statement: “The defendants orchestrated an elaborate scheme to bribe Indian government officials to secure contracts worth billions of dollars.”
Shrapnel from that blast ricocheted across India’s political circles on Thursday with opposition parties accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government of shielding and being in cahoots with Adani.
BJP's entire funding is in Adani's hand: Rahul Gandhi
Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, led the charge and straightaway accused the Modi government of shielding the Gujarati businessman.
“Wherever there is corruption it has to be investigated. Start with Adani. Arrest and interrogate him. The Prime Minister’s name will also get dragged. BJP’s entire funding is in his [Adani’s] hands. The PM cannot do anything. India is in the grip of Adani. Narendra Modi cannot arrest Adani. He doesn’t have the capability. If he [Modi] arrests Adani, he will also have to go,” Rahul Gandhi said at a media meet.
“Adani has committed criminal acts according to the FBI. Why cannot the CBI, the Sebi who arrest the chief ministers of Jharkhand and Delhi take action?” Rahul asked.
“There is a pattern,” he alleged.
“Wherever [foreign countries] the PM goes, India’s credibility is put on the line and Adani gets business. Bangladesh, Kenya, Sri Lanka, Australia, US every country is investigating. There is a political-bureaucratic network. Keep up the stock prices, procure loans based on those, bag projects, fund governments, get more projects.
“There is criminality and corruption and there is due process,” he added. “If Ambani and Adani follow due process we have no problem. Political, financial, stock market and Adani nexus is dangerous for the country, national security and development. Concentration of so much power and development will create social problems.”
Adani indictment vindicates our demand: Jairam Ramesh
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh called the charges against Adani a validation of the party’s long-standing demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe.
"The indictment of Gautam Adani and others by the Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) of the US vindicates the demand that the Indian National Congress has been making since January 2023 for a JPC investigation into the various Modani scams," Ramesh wrote on X.
He recalled the Congress’s 'Hum Adani Ke Hain Kaun' series, which raised 100 unanswered questions about the ties between PM Modi and Adani.
“The fact that it has taken a foreign jurisdiction to properly investigate Adani only shows how Indian institutions have been captured by the BJP," Ramesh said.
Congress should answer for bribes accepted: Amit Malviya
The BJP dismissed the Congress’s allegations, with party information-technology cell chief Amit Malviya launching a sharp rebuttal.
"All the states mentioned here [in the indictment] were Opposition-ruled during that time. So, before you pontificate, answer on the bribes the Congress and its allies accepted," Malviya posted in response to Jairam Ramesh.
The BJP leader questioned the timing of the US indictment, suggesting it was orchestrated to coincide with Donald Trump's potential presidency and the upcoming Indian parliamentary session.
"That the Congress is willing to be a prop in the hands of George Soros and his cabal speaks volumes," he said.
A blow to the Indian name and fame: Sam Pitroda
Congress leader Sam Pitroda called the indictment of Adani a humiliation for India.
"Very surprised and shocked to see that #SEC charges three senior executives in two actions alleging a massive #bribery scheme involving Indian Energy companies #Adani Green and #Azure Power. It is a huge blow to the #Indian name and fame," Pitroda posted on X.
"I am sure there is more to come," he added.
Betrayal of Indian investors: Pawan Khera
Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera termed the allegations against Adani a betrayal.
“The allegations of bribery by Adani’s conglomerate are a betrayal of Indian investors,” Khera said, citing reports that Gautam Adani personally met government officials to further the scheme.
Failures in accountability: Priyanka Chaturvedi of Shiv Sena (UBT)
Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Priyanka Chaturvedi criticised India’s regulatory and investigative agencies for what she called their inaction.
“They talk about corporate governance, responsibility, and accountability. The industrialists should be asked to follow the rules and regulations, but even the agencies were defending him. The SEBI has not yet been able to prove charges against him,” she remarked, expressing frustration over the lack of corporate oversight.
PM must answer: AAP’s Sanjay Singh
AAP leader Sanjay Singh demanded a Supreme Court-monitored probe into the allegations.
"Adani Group has brought disrepute to India. This is a very serious matter. The PM of India should come forward and answer this," Singh urged. "All the pending matters against Adani should be probed by an investigation agency under Supreme Court monitoring, and all the corruption done by him, within and outside the country, should come out before the country and action should be taken against him."
How much is Modi & BJP's involvement: Saket Gokhale
Trinamul MP Saket Gokhale asked if the Narendra Modi-led government was involved in the bribery case. "Markets are reacting but Govt of India is completely silent. Charges are of bribing a govt-owned PSU. How much is Modi & BJP's involvement?" Gokhale posted. "With Indian agencies being compromised and acting as wings of the BJP, only an independent judicial probe will expose the truth," he added.
Good morning Ms. Madhabi 'No Proof Against Adani Buch': Mahua Moitra
Trinamul MP Mahua Moitra pointed out that the charges against Adani include of paying bribes to government officials to "purchase energy at above-market rates benefitting Adani renewables".
Sharing the release by the US Attorney's Office, Eastern District of New York, Moitra said, "Adani and seven of his senior executives indicted in connection with scheme to pay hundreds of millions of dollars in bribes and conceal bribery scheme from US investors."
The Trinamul MP added: "Good morning Ms. Madhabi 'No Proof Against Adani Buch'. Good morning spineless compromised Sebi. Here is SEC press release detailing your Bro's dealings."
Book Adani on corruption charges: CPM
The CPM pointed out that the indictment filed in a US court by the Department of Justice against Gautam Adani and six others “contain serious charges of Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani being involved in paying bribes to Indian government officials at the Centre and states level.
“The indictment states that Rs 2,029 crores [sic] was offered or promised to Indian government officials to get state electricity distribution companies to execute power sale agreements for the supply of solar power,” the statement added.
“The case has come up in the United States as the charge is that US investors were misled by the Adanis. The indictment further states that evidence was collected from Sagar Adani, which provides specific details of the bribes offered and promised to government officials. “The Bribe Notes identified: (i) the state or region for which government officials had been offered a bribe; (ii) the total amount of the offered bribe; and (iii) the approximate amount of solar power the state or region would agree to purchase in exchange for the bribe. In most instances, the Bribe Notes also identified the per megawatt rate for the total bribe amount offered, the abbreviated titles of the government officials who would receive the bribes, and/or the allocation of the total bribe amount among government officials within each state and region,” it said.
“It is shameful that such large-scale bribery and suborning of government officials by the Adanis had to be exposed not in India but in the United States through their criminal justice system. Gautam Adani and his business empire have had the full protection of the Modi government to execute his unlawful and criminal activities. Prime Minister Modi himself had shielded Adani from any enquiry or prosecution on the charges emanating from the Hindenburg expose,” it said.
“The Modi government cannot hide behind any smokescreen now. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) must be directed to immediately file a case based on the material provided by the prosecution in the United States,” it added.
Adani Group denies any wrongdoing
“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,” a spokesperson was quoted in a post by the Adani Group’s official account.
“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.
“The Adani Group has always upheld and is steadfastly committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance, transparency and regulatory compliance across all jurisdictions of its operations. We assure our stakeholders, partners and employees that we are a law-abiding organisation, fully compliant with all laws,” the statement added.
(with inputs from PTI)
