Opposition Parties Demand Joint Parliamentary Probe
Leaders from various Indian political parties staged protests on Wednesday in response to the US indictment of billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani. They called for a joint parliamentary probe (JPC) to investigate the allegations against Adani and his conglomerate, citing concerns over their involvement in several scams.
The protests stemmed from accusations by US prosecutors that Adani and his associates bribed Indian officials to secure favorable terms for their solar power projects. The alleged bribery scheme, estimated at Rs 2,200 crore, involved sale deeds signed between the company and various states, including Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Tamil Nadu, and Jammu and Kashmir, between July 2021 and February 2022.
Opposition MPs from the Congress, AAP, RJD, Shiv Sena (UBT), DMK, and Left parties participated in the protests, raising slogans and holding banners that read "Modi-Adani are one." Notably, the TMC did not participate in the demonstrations.
Apart from the JPC demand, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also called for Adani's immediate arrest. The Lok Sabha Secretariat had previously issued an advisory urging MPs to refrain from protesting in front of the Parliament gates due to safety and security concerns.
Adani's Response to US Bribery Charges
On November 30, Gautam Adani addressed the allegations at the 51st Gem & Jewellery Awards. He acknowledged facing similar challenges in the past and emphasized that no one from the Adani side had been charged with violating the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) or conspiring to obstruct justice. He expressed his commitment to world-class regulatory compliance and stated that the company would work through the legal process.
Following the US indictment, the Adani Group released a statement calling the allegations baseless and denying any wrongdoing. They emphasized that the charges were related to one contract of Adani Green, comprising only 10% of the energy company's business. The statement clarified that none of the 11 public companies under the Adani Group were subject to the indictment or accused of any wrongdoing.