A day after Gautam Adani pledged huge investments in Rajasthan, Rahul Gandhi on Saturday said the Congress government in the state has not given any preferential treatment to the industrialist and asserted that he is not against corporates but monopolies.
Addressing a press conference in Karnataka's Turuvekere, Gandhi also said that if the Rajasthan government gives business to Adani wrongly, he will oppose that too.
The Bharatiya Janata party on Friday mocked the Congress after Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot lavished praise on Adani, the industrialist Gandhi often picks to allege that Prime Minister Narendra Modi helps only big businessmen.
Asked about Adani's presence at a Rajasthan government event and the industrialist pledging investments in the state, the former Congress chief said, "Mr Adani has committed Rs 60,000 crore to Rajasthan. No chief minister can refuse such an offer. In fact, it would not be correct for a chief minister to refuse such an offer."
"My contention is in the use of political power to help certain chosen businesses. My opposition is to two-three or four large businesses being helped politically to monopolize every single business in this country," he said.
"I am in no way against corporates, I am in no way against business but I am against the complete monopolization of Indian business because that weakens the country.
"Today what we are seeing is being done by the BJP government is complete monopolisation of all businesses by helping a chosen few businesses," Gandhi alleged.
Earlier in a tweet, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said much media hype is being created over Gehlot's meeting with Adani.
"Adani wants to invest approximately Rs 60,000 cr in Rajasthan. No CM will say don't invest. There are NO special rules or policies for Adani by RJ Govt. Gehlot is very much against cronyism of the Modi variety," he said.
Condemning the BJP for mocking the Congress after he lavished praise on industrialist Gautam Adani during the Invest Rajasthan summit, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said it was not a private programme and 3,000 delegates attended it.
Be it Adani or Union Home Minister Amit Shah's son Jay Shah, Rajasthan will welcome all because it wants investment and employment, Gehlot said.
"It is not a private event, it is an investors' summit. Are 3,000 delegates (who attended the summit) of the Congress?" Gehlot asked, asserting their ideologies could be that of the Congress or the BJP.
"In such a situation, why do they want to create a hurdle? I condemn these people. They talked about Gautam Adani yesterday (Friday). Be it Gautam Adani or any Adani, or Ambani or Amit Shah's son Jay Shah, we will welcome all of them here. We want employment, we want investment," the chief minister said.
It was not clear why Gehlot clubbed Jay Shah's name with those of industrialists Ambani and Adani as the Union home minister's son is not known to have any major business interest.
Rahul Gandhi often highlights Adani to allege that Prime Minister Narendra Modi only helps big business people.
Adani, the chairman of the Adani Group and the richest man in Asia, was seated next to Gehlot during the inaugural ceremony of Invest Rajasthan, organised by the Congress-run state government to attract investment.
Adani announced a whopping Rs 65,000 crore investment in Rajasthan over the next five to seven years -- setting up a 10,000 MW solar power facility, expanding cement plant, and upgrading the Jaipur International Airport.
