Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Sunday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and businessman Gautam Adani of being aligned, the Hindustan Times reported.
“Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi are one,” Gandhi said at the Congress’ 85th plenary session in Raipur.
He also asked why the leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party and ministers of the central government defended the Adani Group when he raised questions against the conglomerate in Parliament. Gandhi was criticising the Modi government over the crisis triggered by a report by American firm Hindenburg Research, alleging that the Adani Group improperly used offshore tax havens and manipulated stock.
“It was said that one who attacks Adani is a traitor. It means Adani has become the biggest patriot!” Gandhi said. “The question arises: Why is BJP-RSS protecting Adani?”
Opposition leaders have repeatedly accused the prime minister of favouring Gautam Adani. However, Union Home Minister Amit Shah has rejected the allegations, saying that the BJP has “nothing to hide or be afraid of”.
The controversy had led to repeated adjournments and uproar in the first leg of the Budget Session of Parliament, as Opposition parties demanded a joint parliamentary committee investigation into allegations of unfair business practices by the Adani Group.
In Sunday’s speech, Gandhi also criticised the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and the BJP, alleging that they seeking power at any cost. The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh is the ideological parent of the BJP.
“They [BJP-RSS] will do anything for power,” Gandhi said. “They will form an alliance with anyone. They will bow down before anyone. This is the reality.”
The Congress leader also criticised External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar for his remarks that it was common sense for India not to pick a fight with China as it is the bigger economy. Jaishankar had made the remarks during an interview with news agency ANI on February 20. He was responding to a question on the situation along the Line of Actual Control with China.
“When the British ruled us, was their economy smaller than ours?” Gandhi questioned. “It means you [BJP] will bow our head before anyone who is mightier than you.”
‘All Opposition parties must fight unitedly’
At Sunday’s plenary session, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra called upon all Opposition parties to come together against the BJP in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections.
“Now only one year is left for us, there are expectations from us [the Opposition], that we will unite,” Vadra said, according to PTI. “All the Opposition parties and people whose ideology is opposed to them [BJP], must fight unitedly.”
Vadra also expressed confidence that the Congress workers will take the message of the party and the “failures” of the BJP government to the people.
“We know you have courage to fight BJP, time has come to display that courage for country,” she said.
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