3 min readNew DelhiFeb 9, 2023 08:25 AM IST
First published on: Feb 8, 2023 at 06:41 PM IST
Soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at the Opposition while replying to the debate on the motion of thanks on the President’s address in the Lok Sabha Wednesday, senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said Modi was “shell-shocked” and did not give answers to any of the questions that he had raised regarding his government’s alleged role in the rise of Gautam Adani’s fortunes. Rahul alleged that the PM was trying to “protect” Adani.
“The Prime Minister was shell-shocked. He was in shock and there was no answer. The Prime Minister did not give a single answer. I had not asked any complicated questions. I had only asked how many times he (Gautam Adani) had travelled with you, how many times you had met him there. Those were simple questions but there were no answers,” Rahul said.
In his 53-minute speech in the Lok Sabha Tuesday, Rahul had accused Modi and his government of allegedly pulling strings in Adani’s favour and flouting rules to fuel the meteoric rise of the businessman since 2014.
Giving his reaction to PM Modi’s speech, Rahul told reporters: “I am not satisfied. It reveals the truth. The (PM’s) speech shows the truth. There was no mention of inquiry. If he (Adani) is not his friend, then he should have said let’s have an inquiry.”
Rahul said it was also an issue related to the defence industry. “There are shell companies, benami money is being circulated and the Prime Minister did not say anything,” he said, charging that “It is clear the PM is protecting him (Adani)”.
“This is a very big scam. He did not even say that. He (PM) is surely trying to protect him (Adani) and I understand this and there are reasons for it,” he said.
Asked about the PM’s claim that the people of the country have trust and faith in him, Rahul said: “That is fine. What I am saying is that it is an issue related to national security, India’s infrastructure. The Prime Minister should have said that we will conduct an inquiry, we will get it checked, we will look into what happened. It is a big scam. But he didn’t. He was trying to protect him (Adani). I understand why, I know the reason.”
Meanwhile, in his reaction to PM Modi’s speech, AICC general secretary in charge of communications Jairam Ramesh tweeted: “Divert Defame Denigrate Deny. The 4 Ds in PM’s own style that Describe his so-called reply in Parliament. Not a word—direct or indirect—on the Prime Minister’s links with his favourite businessman, Adani, or his ghotalas!”
Rahul Gandhi addresses reporters outside Parliament on Wednesday. (Express Photo) 
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