Power Outage Sparks Controversy
A political drama erupted in New Delhi on Thursday as Rahul Gandhi, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, held a press conference demanding the immediate arrest of industrialist Gautam Adani. This call to action came after Adani was indicted in the United States on charges of alleged bribery and fraud. During the press conference, the live broadcast was interrupted by a power outage, prompting Gandhi to mockingly state, “Adani power, Modi power, don’t know which power it is. But both of them are one.”
The power cut provided the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with an opportunity to jab back at Gandhi. BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra dismissed Gandhi’s claims, suggesting the outage must have been orchestrated by his own party colleagues. “It’s his office, his electricity … I think his own people must have cut the power. I think Jairam Ramesh must have cut the power,” Patra quipped, further alleging that Gandhi was attempting to create chaos ahead of the upcoming Parliament session.
Allegations Against Adani
The backdrop of this political skirmish is the indictment of Gautam Adani and several subordinates by U.S. authorities. They are accused of paying over $250 million in bribes to Indian government officials in connection with profitable solar energy supply contracts, projected to generate more than $2 billion in profits over 20 years. The Adani Group has vehemently denied these allegations, stating that they are “baseless” and vowing to pursue all possible legal recourse.
Demands for Arrest and Investigations
In response to the indictment, Rahul Gandhi has escalated his calls for Adani’s arrest, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of protecting him. He emphasized the seriousness of the allegations, saying, “It is pretty clear and established in America that Mr. Adani has broken both American law and Indian law. Why is Mr. Adani still running around as a free man in this country?” Gandhi further remarked that other political figures, such as the Chief Minister of Jharkhand, had been arrested under less severe allegations.
“Mr. Adani has apparently done one Rs 2,000 crore scam, multiple others probably. But he is scot-free,” Gandhi stated, indicating that this issue would be raised in Parliament during the upcoming Winter Session.
The Congress party has accused the Modi government of facilitating Adani’s alleged corruption, claiming that the industrialist has made significant financial gains through unethical means with the help of the BJP.
Broader Reactions and Calls for Accountability
Apart from Congress, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI(M)) has also joined the chorus condemning the allegations against Adani. They characterized it as “shameful” that such large-scale bribery had to be exposed outside of India, asserting that Adani has had the full protection of the Modi government to carry out his alleged unlawful activities.
The gravity of these claims and the forthcoming discussions in Parliament signal a potentially charged atmosphere as both sides prepare for an intense debate regarding corruption and accountability at the highest levels of government. As tensions continue to rise, the political landscape in India appears set for a significant confrontation over these serious allegations.
