The Adani Group’s statement Sunday calling the allegations against it by American short seller Hindenburg Research an "attack on India" is receiving a backlash from the Opposition, which is asking how billionaire Gautam Adani could equate his company to the country. “Taking refuge under the nationalist narrative” was bringing “shame” to the country’s citizens, Opposition parties say. Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Priyanka Chaturvedi tweeted, “Modi ji is India, India is Modiji. Adani group is India, India is Adani Group. BJP is India, India is BJP. Stock Market is India, India is Stock Market. Please help me list all that is India in New India.” Modi ji is India, India is Modiji Adani group is India, India is Adani Group BJP is India, India is BJP Stock Market is India, India is Stock Market Please help me list all that is India in New India… ? pic.twitter.com/uTdlX4gwTc — Priyanka Chaturvedi🇮🇳 (@priyankac19) January 30, 2023 Taking to Twitter, Trinamool Congress (TMC) Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar asked: “Since when is Adani = India?” “Adani issues 413-page response, calls Hindenburg allegations attack on India”. Since when is Adani = India? — Jawhar Sircar (@jawharsircar) January 29, 2023 Telangana Industries Minister K Taraka Rama Rao, popularly known as KTR, tweeted: “Neither ‘Pradhani (Prime Minister)’ nor ‘Adani’ is India. Obfuscation and taking refuge under the nationalist narrative is nothing but bringing more shame to the people of this great nation.” Neither “Pradhani” Nor “Adani” is India Obfuscation & taking refuge under Nationalist narrative is nothing but bringing more shame to the people of this great Nation 🇮🇳 — KTR (@KTRBRS) January 30, 2023 The social media head of the Bharata Rashtra Samithi (BRS), Y Sathish Reddy, who goes by the Twitter username YSR, said: “When did ‘Adani’ become ‘India’? In that case, why is the PM of India not reacting on the issue?” Saying that a “corporate can be Indian but cannot be India”, Congress leader and activist Sadaf Jafar said: “They are all accountable to the authorities and the citizens of the country who are actually what India comprises. It is their money and future on which Adani is minting crores per day and to them he is answerable.” Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Manoj Kumar Jha said, “India and Indian flag is not meant to cover such serious allegations against you and your firm.” After Hidenburg research accused it of “brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud”, the Adani Group responded: “This is not merely an unwarranted attack on any specific company but a calculated attack on India, the independence, integrity and quality of Indian institutions, and the growth story and ambition of India.” Replying to the statement, Hidenburg said that "fraud" cannot be obfuscated by nationalism or a bloated response that ignored response to key allegations. It added: “We believe India is a vibrant democracy and an emerging superpower with an exciting future. We also believe India’s future is being held back by the Adani Group, which has draped itself in the Indian flag while systematically looting the nation.”
