Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday mounted a fresh attack on the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government over the Adani-Hindenburg row, likening the Adani conglomerate with the British East India Company, and accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of being “united” with the group chairman.
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His party will continue to ask questions about the association, Gandhi said at the 85th All India Congress Committee plenary in Raipur, indicating a shift in the party’s strategy ahead of elections in several states this year, and the general elections next year.
“We will continue to ask questions till the truth about Adani comes out. Those who work in Adani companies, I want to tell them that this company is taking away the country’s infrastructure. Remember, India fought against the East India Company in its fight for independence. That company too took away assets of India,” Gandhi said.
“History is being repeated now. This is against our country and the Congress will fight against it,” he said.
US-based short-seller, Hindenburg Research, in a report on January 24, accused the Adani Group of “brazen accounting fraud” and “stock manipulation”.
The Adani Group, which has seen market value upwards of $100 billion wiped oust since the accusations of fraud emerged, has dismissed the charges, calling the report “unresearched” and “maliciously mischievous”.
Gandhi’s repeated attack on the government over the issue indicates that the Congress is likely to pitch its poll campaign around the controversy as it did with the allegations of irregularities in the Rafale jet deal ahead of the 2019 polls.
In his address to the plenary in Raipur, Gandhi targeted the ruling party over its alleged defence of the Adani Group.
“The entire government tried to save Adani. They said anyone who attacks Adani is anti-national. The question is why BJP-RSS is trying to defend Adani,” he asked.
Referring to his speech in the Lok Sabha, parts of which were later expunged, he said, “When we asked in Parliament what is the prime minister’s relation with Adani, our entire speech was expunged. He (the PM) could have simply answered there is no relation. But they do have a relations. Adani and Modi are united.”
Opposition leaders have alleged that parts of their speeches during the Budget Session were unfairly scrubbed from the record, a charge dismissed by the Chairs in both Houses.
“Why there is no investigation on this? Why no JPC probe. LIC is losing its money (in the exposure to Adani group),” he said.
In a statement issued later in the day, the Congress said it plans to intensify its agitation over the Adani issue.
“Block-level agitations will be organised in front of offices of public banks and LIC between 6th and 10th March, 2023 all over the country. PARDAFASH rallies will be organised at all the district headquarters in the month of March. A massive “Chalo Raj Bhavan” march will be organised at the state headquarters on March 13, 2023,” a party statement issued by KC Venugopal, AICC general secretary, said.
During his speech, the former Congress president also dubbed the BJP, and its ideological fount, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), “satta grahi (power hungry)”.
“Mahatma Gandhi talked about satyagrah… We (Congress) are satyagrahi and they are ‘sattagrahi’. They can do anything for power. They can collude with anyone and bow down before anyone for power. This is their truth…,” Gandhi said.
The BJP, however, was quick to retort, asking Gandhi to learn the correct meaning and pronunciation of satyagrah.
BJP spokesperson Rajesh Munat shared a video clip of Gandhi’s address, and said, “BJP has done satyagrah against the policies of Congress for many years along with the people of the country. What was on your mind, by mistake it came out through your words.”
Gandhi also questioned the BJP-led government’s thinking on China as he referred to external affairs minister S Jaishankar’s comment on the neighbouring country’s economic might.
“A minister said, China’s economy is bigger than India, so how do we fight against them? When the British ruled India, did we have a larger economy than the British? So, will you only fight those who are weaker? This is called cowardice. This is (Veer) Savarkar’s ideology. What sort of nationalism is this? The weaker may die but they will stoop before anyone who is strong,” the Congress MP from Wayanad said.
He was referring to Jaishankar’s recent interview with ANI, where he spoke about the border issue with China, saying, “China is a bigger economy and India is responding to the situation that China created along the LAC, in Ladakh, by violating border agreements.”
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Gandhi also urged Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge to continue the party’s outreach programmes like the Bharat Jodo Yatra that he led from Kanyakumari to Kashmir.
“Tapasya must not stop. Our programme should continue. We should undertake difficult programmes. We must feel the pain,” Gandhi said.
“We will together join tapasya, we will give our blood for our struggle and India will join us. Kharge ji, you plan programmes. Your full team including me will run them,” he said amid applause.
The Congress leader, who was the face of the 3,800-km long foot march, narrated his experiences from the yatra.
“This government snatched away the emotions of hoisting our flag from Kashmiris. We evoked the passion for the flag in young Kashmiris. They hoisted the flag spontaneously. They told me, you trusted us,” Gandhi said, referring to the unfurling of the Tricolor at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk.
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