Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Saturday declared that Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot order an inquiry into Adani’s affairs because the outcome would hurt not the businessman but “someone else”, hinting at political authorities’ involvement in the alleged money-laundering racket.

“Main aapko saaf kah deta hun, Hindustan ka Pradhan Mantri Adaniji pe koi inquiry kara hi nahin sakta. Kyonki agar inquiry ka nateeja nikal gaya toh nuksan Adaniji ko nahin hoga, nuksan kisi aur ko hoga (I tell you clearly, India’s Prime Minister cannot order an inquiry against Adani, because the outcome will hurt not Adani but someone else),” Rahul told a poll rally in Nava Raipur, Chhattisgarh.

The Congress MP, however, added that Modi must tell the nation why he was not allowing an inquiry into Adani’s affairs and what his compulsion was.

A network of investigative journalists — the Organized Crime and Corrruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) — that collaborated with two British newspapers has alleged that two Asian businessmen had conspired to funnel money through two Mauritius-based investment funds into the stocks of four Adani group companies.

“The question is, the money that was sent out, thousands of crores, belongs to whom? This was not Adani’s money. This money belonged to somebody else. Whose money was this? Why should there be no investigation to find out whose money was laundered?” Rahul said.

The allegations against Adani appear likely to remain at the centre of the electoral discourse in Chhattisgarh, where polls are due later this year.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel too invoked Adani at the rally, saying: “Agar kamal ka button dabaoge toh VVPAT se Adani niklega (If you push the lotus button, Adani will emerge through the VVPAT machine).”

Baghel said the central agencies were raiding Congress leaders and government functionaries in the state only because his administration stood between Adani and the state’s mines.

He said Adani had set his sights on the iron and coal mines in Chhattisgarh and the central government intended to hand them over to him.

Rahul said Modi was handing over all national assets to Adani and that after ports and airports, the railways were on offer.

The Congress MP had on Friday convinced the Opposition alliance, INDIA, at its Mumbai meeting that Modi’s nexus with Adani would have to be exposed.

On Saturday, he said: “BJP and Narendra Modiji work for two or three billionaires. You know the names. Big financial newspapers wrote a couple of days ago... that Adaniji, who is close to Narendra Modiji, had sent thousands of crores out of the country. The same money came back and the Adani group used it to manipulate share prices.”

Recalling the bitter political battle in Karnataka, he said: “Our governments work for the poor. Our governments, be it in Karnataka or Himachal, Rajasthan or Chhattisgarh, do not work for Adani. We fulfil all the promises made to the people.

“We promised the highest rate for paddy in Chhattisgarh and delivered it. We waived farm loans. Every single poor (voter) in Karnataka supported us in ousting the BJP. We don’t make false promises; I can’t even think of telling you that Rs 15 lakh will come into your accounts. We have fulfilled all the promises made in Karnataka.”

Rahul also raised the issue of divisive politics, saying: “The BJP divides people. Spreading hate and violence is their politics. We unite people and spread love. That was the purpose of the Bharat Jodo Yatra.”

The electoral discourse is now likely to include these key issues: the allegations of an Adani-Modi nexus, divisive politics, prices, unemployment and welfare politics.