BJP hits back at Rahul Gandhi on Adani row, says Congress ‘trying to tank market to damage Indian economy’

“The matter relates to the agreement for sale and purchase of electricity, and the agreement with state distribution companies. Which are the four states mentioned in the US court? The matter pertains to the time between July 2021 and February 2022. Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Odisha all had non-NDA governments at that time. They had neither our CMs nor ruling parties supported by us. But they had governments of the Congress or their allies,” Patra said.

He added, “Rahul Gandhi has said he has no objection to any of his ex-CMs or leaders being interrogated. All right. Let there be interrogation of Bhupesh Baghel. We have no problem. You file a case.” The electricity bills of these states were not being generated by the Modi government but by state governments, Patra underlined.

Patra also accused Gandhi of having an “international structure” in US politician Ilhan Omar and businessman George Soros. “Your structure wants to dent Indian markets. The Gandhi family and the Congress are unable to tolerate that we are moving towards being the third-largest economy in the world. That is why they are attacking the Indian market and trying to make it tank to damage the Indian economy. About 2.5 crore small investors who had invested in the share market have had to suffer losses today,” Patra said.

He also sought to know that if Prime Minister Narendra Modi was behind Adani, why did Adani invest Rs 25,000 crore in Chhattisgarh when Baghel was the chief minister, Rs 65,000 crore in Rajasthan when Ashok Gehlot was the CM, Rs 35,000 crore in West Bengal, Rs 60,000 crore in Andhra Pradesh, Rs 4,500 crore in Tamil Nadu, and promised Rs 1-lakh crore of investment in Karnataka under a Congress government.

“On October 19, 2024, Adani Foundation donated Rs 100 crore to Revanth Reddy, chief minister of Telangana, for skill upliftment. Why did your government take donations from a corrupt man? On January 23, 2024, Revanth Reddy went to the World Economic Forum and the Congress government of Telangana signed a Rs 12,400 crore MoU with the Adani group. Is Rahul different from his chief ministers? He will have to reply to this,” Patra said.

He added that in corruption cases relating to the UPA government, the BJP used to take the matter to court. “We did not just do press conferences but took matters to court. Let Rahul Gandhi file a case on this,” he said.

Patra also took umbrage at Rahul saying in his presser that the Congress was having to do the work of the judiciary and media too. “The mother and son are themselves out on bail but claiming to do the work of the judiciary. This deserves contempt of court. The courts should take suo motu cognizance of it,” he said.

On the demand for a joint parliamentary committee probe (JPC) into the bribery charges against the Adani group, Patra said that someone breaks a bottle or breaks a hand in “their JPCs”. He also alleged that Rahul and Congress will now try to disrupt Parliament during the Winter Session.

Responding to Rahul’s claim that Modi’s credibility has ended, Patra said that the Congress had been trying to finish Modi’s credibility since 2002, but could never dent it.