Congress vs. BJP on the US Government Department's Action Against Adani Group

 

According to Adani Group, these were simply accusations and should be regarded as such. It added that it would look into taking legal action.

Delhi, New Delhi: A political spat between the ruling BJP and the opposition has been triggered by accusations made against the Adani Group by a US government department, which the company has denied. BJP leaders criticized the Congress's position as Congress leader Rahul Gandhi restated his claims of collaboration between the Adani Group and the Narendra Modi government, claiming that the accusations cover four states, all of which were then controlled by opposition parties.

The US Department of Justice's decision to implicate the Adani Group in a lawsuit involving suspected misconduct has been dismissed by the company as unfounded. According to the group, they were simply accusations and should be regarded as such. It added that it would look into taking legal action.

In a statement, the Adani Group emphasized that it has consistently upheld the greatest standards of governance and transparency, saying, "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."

In a lengthy statement, senior BJP leader Amit Malviya stated that the US Justice Department's letter stated that the charges are accusations and that the defendants are deemed innocent until and unless proven guilty.

The main point of the charge, according to Mr. Malviya, was that US and Indian businesses had committed to providing the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) with 12 GW of electricity. "This was contingent upon SECI and State power distribution companies (SDCs) signing a PPA. Adani Green Energy and Azure Power, a US renewable energy company, collaborated, with Adani Green Energy receiving 8 MW and Azure receiving 4 GW.The SDCs refused to purchase the power since it was expensive. Thus, between July 21 and February 22, Adanis (in conjunction with Azure Power, a US company) paid the equivalent of US $265 million to SDCs in Tamilnadu (DMK), Chhattisgarh (Congress), Andhra Pradesh (YSRCP), and Odisha (BJD-ruled) (by far the largest to AP).

"During that time, the opposition ruled all of the states listed here. Therefore, Mr. Malviya stated, "Answer about the bribes the Congress and its allies accepted before you become president." Additionally, he noted that American companies may be accused by an Indian court of bribing US government officials to prevent them from accessing Indian markets. "Should we then allow law to take its course and the concerned corporate to defend or plant ourselves in domestic politics of a foreign country?" asked him.

Speaking to the media about the issue, Congressman and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi claimed that the Adani Group had violated both Indian and US laws. He emphasized that the opposition is united on the matter and stated that he would bring up the matter during the Winter session of Parliament, which starts on Monday.

The report's timing, right before the parliament session and Donald Trump's upcoming president, caused concerns, according to Amit Malviya. He said, "That the Congress is willing to be a prop in the hands of George Soros and his cabal speaks volumes," alluding to the billionaire philanthropist who has been seen as a "agent of disruption" by a number of nations.

Sambit Patra, a BJP MP and national spokesperson, reaffirmed the accusation that at the time, there were no BJP governments in any of the four states in question. Congress either supported the prevailing party or held power. He added that former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister and Congress leader Bhupesh Baghel, along with the other three former Chief Ministers, must be questioned in this regard. "This whole issue is linked to the Congress party and its allies," he said. "If Adani is corrupt, then why are the Congress governments seeking investment from his company," he stated.