After Rahul, Kharge Slams Centre Over Gautam Adani's Indictment Case, Calls For Billionaire's Arrest

After senior Congress leader and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, party chief Kharge urged the Centre to take immediate action against the billionaire industrialist in the bribery case.

Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge addresses a public meeting in support of Vasai assembly constituency, Vijay Govind Patil, for Maharashtra Assembly elections, in Vasai on Monday. (ANI Photo)

Gautam Adani Bribery Case: The Congress has stepped up its attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Central government over the billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani US indictment case.

After senior party leader and Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday urged the Centre to take immediate action against the billionaire industrialist in the bribery case.

Kharge accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government of shielding Adani and asserted that the grand old party will raise the issue during the upcoming Parliament session and demand an inquiry into the charges.

While speaking to reporters, Kharge called for Adani’s arrest and claimed that the Central government knows everything. "We will raise the issue in Parliament, and we will demand an inquiry. As he (Adani) is in India, action should be taken against him; he should be arrested. The government knows everything, so they should quickly take action against him in corruption cases," the senior Congress leader said.

Adani has been charged by US prosecutors for allegedly being part of an elaborate scheme to pay a USD 265 million (about Rs 2,200 crore) bribe to Indian officials in exchange for favorable terms for solar power contracts.

Adani along with seven others, including his nephew Sagar, have been charged by the US Department of Justice with paying bribes to unidentified officials of state governments in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha to buy expensive solar power, potentially earning more than USD 2 billion in profit over 20 years.

Adani Group has denied all charges and termed them "baseless.".

Noting that for five to six years, the Congress has repeatedly raised the issue and made efforts to corner the government. "They (Adani and company) are involved in corruption cases. But Modi does not even utter anything against him," Kharge said.

"Home Minister Amit Shah has ED and CBI with him. Despite having all these agencies, why is no inquiry being done? Last time when we raised the issue following the Hindenburg report, they were dismissive about it, saying it is a foreign thing, it is false."

The Congress has been saying things against Adani and will continue to say what it has to, the party chief said.

"But from abroad too, corruption allegations are coming; they (US) are clearly saying it. If the allegations are false, file a defamation case against them. You may accuse us (Congress) of making allegations politically, but everybody is saying it—Hindenburg, America."