'Cong must produce facts before attacking Adani'
November 27, 2024 10:40
RS MP Mahesh Jethmalani
On the allegations against Adani Group in a US Court, Rajya Sabha MP & Senior Advocate Mahesh Jethmalani says, "President Trump has said that the Department of Justice (DOJ) is a farce. This tweet, the Congress never looks at. He is a President-elect and he is making a very responsible statement. The DOJ is acting in unseemly haste. Look at the timing. They are now almost out of power. It is what is called a scorched earth policy. Perhaps they noticed that Gautam Adani complimented President Trump on his success in the presidential elections and maybe this is why. This has been going on for some time, but the haste in which it is done, the sketchiness of the indictment, the total absence of any evidence provided for the indictment shows that this is what I call a hatchet job."
On the opposition parties reacting to the allegations against Adani Group in a US Court, Jethmalani says, "This is clearly a political tool. They have just had a rout in the Maharashtra elections. They've been successful winners in coalition on the coattails of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha but Maharashtra was a prize which they were very confident of winning. This is a completely divergent tactic. They have no other issues.
"You will see that constantly the Congress Party in particular and the INDI alliance sometimes harp on only two issues in which there is foreign meddling. One is Adani and the other is Manipur. These are both issues which they should stay away from. I regret to say that it is not in the country's interest to keep promoting these and playing with fire.
"As far as the indictment is concerned, it is very sketchy, the timing is very suspicious, it has come just before the eve of the parliamentary session...No offence is alleged in the indictment against any of the Adanis or Adani Greens.
"There is not a single piece of evidence in this indictment, nor has the Congress party who today has again asked on an adjournment motion for discussion given any evidence as to why any infractions of Indian law were concerned. Even the indictment of the US court does not talk about any bribery in India. It only says there was a conspiracy to bribe. There is no violation of the Foreign Corruption Prevention Act in India.
"The case is only one that there was some intention, a conspiracy, a scheme to bribe Indian officials, but there is no evidence that it was carried out. It is not even suggested that it was carried out in India.
"This adjournment motion and all this noise which the Congress party has made is completely misconceived...What is the evidence which proves that there was any conspiracy to bribe Indian officials to get these solar energy contracts? There is nothing in the indictment. The Congress party is relying blindly on an indictment against an Indian conglomerate which has undertaken useful businesses for India abroad and it is trying to undermine them.I repeat, there is no case of any bribery in India in that indictment. Congress is reading too much into this indictment and they are doing it for purely political purposes."
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