In Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi talks about Adani’s meteoric rise, questions links with PM

Speaking in Lok Sabha during the Motion of Thanks to the President’s address, Gandhi questioned Adani’s rise since 2014.

“People want to know about Modi-Adani relationship. Rules were overlooked to favour Adani… From Tamil Nadu, Kerala to Himachal Pradesh we have been listening one name everywhere ‘Adani’. Across the entire country, it’s just ‘Adani’, ‘Adani’, ‘Adani’…people used to ask me that Adani enters any business and never fails,” Gandhi said.

The Adani Group is in the midst of a stock market meltdown following the allegations of fraud and stock manipulation by a US-based short-selling firm Hindenburg Research. The group, however, has rejected the charges.

As Gandhi continued to speak on Adani, BJP MPs protested with Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju asking the former to not level “wild allegations” and furnish proof of his claims. Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla subsequently asked Gandhi to focus on the President’s address and disapproved of the Congress leader displaying a picture.

During his speech, Gandhi also questioned how Adani’s net worth increased from USD 8 billion to USD 140 billion between 2014 and 2022. “Youth asked us that Adani is now in 8-10 sectors & that how his net worth reached USD 140 billion from USD 8 billion from 2014 to 2022,” he said.

Gandhi also alleged that the Centre had tweaked rules in favor of Adani, saying that those with no prior experience in airports were earlier not involved in the development of airports.

Gandhi also noted that during his recently concluded Bharat Jodo Yatra, people spoke about inflation, unemployment and other issues they were facing, but said, that the President’s address had no mention of ‘berozgaari’.

Apart from this, Gandhi also slammed the government over the ‘Agnipath’ scheme, claiming it was imposed on the Army by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the Ministry of Home Affairs. Gandhi said, “On Agniveers, senior officers told us that it seems that the idea came from the RSS and was thrust on the Army. They said we are training 1000s in weapons and then soon after, they will become civilians amid high unemployment. The officers told me that Ajit Doval is the man behind this idea.

Editor’s note: This article has been updated on February 8, following Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla’s decision expunging certain remarks made by senior Congress leader and Wayand MP Rahul Gandhi during his reply to the President’s Address in the House on February 7 .