Adani group denies bribery charge, says they are baseless

Adani issue has become the latest flash point between the opposition and the BJP. Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi on Thursday demanded the immediate arrest of Gautam Adani after the billionaire industrialist was charged in the US for alleged bribery and fraud. Addressing a press conference in New Delhi hours after the US prosecutors charged Adani and associates for allegedly paying USD 250 million bribe to Indian officials, the Congress leader said it is now pretty clear and established in the US that the businessman has broken Indian as well as American laws.

It's now pretty clear and established in America that Mr. Adani has broken both American and Indian laws. I'm wondering why Mr. Adani is still roaming free in this country, despite being accused of a 2000 crore scam and multiple others.

Meanwhile, Chief Ministers have been… pic.twitter.com/q6XF3eZRTx

— Congress (@INCIndia) November 21, 2024

The BJP said the states that allegedly received bribes from the Adani Group for solar power deals, as mentioned in the US indictment, were ruled by the Opposition. Addressing a press conference BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra attacked Rahul Gandhi for attempting to tarnish the Prime Minister's image after the Congress MP alleged that Narendra Modi was hand in glove with Gautam Adani in corrupt activities. 

Rahul Gandhi said, "India has been hijacked."

His statement is correct, but he got the tense wrong.

India isn't hijacked; it was already hijacked!

The Gandhi family were the hijackers, and the commando (Modi Ji) freed it!

- Dr. @sambitswaraj

Watch the full video:… pic.twitter.com/SSRCIfP2r1

— BJP (@BJP4India) November 21, 2024

The Adani Group has rejected as baseless the move by a US department to name the group in a case of alleged wrongdoing.The group asserts that these are mere allegations and must be seen only as that. It has also decided to examine a legal course of action. "The allegations made by the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission against directors of Adani Green are baseless and denied," the Adani Group said in a statement, emphasising it has steadfastly maintained the highest possible standards of governance and transparency.'Baseless And Denied': Adani Group On A US Government Department Report. "As stated by the US Department of Justice itself, 'the charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty'," the statement read. "All possible legal recourse will be sought. The Adani Group has always upheld and is steadfastly committed to maintaining the highest standards of governance, transparency and regulatory compliance across all jurisdictions of its operations. We assure our stakeholders, partners and employees that we are a law-abiding organisation, fully compliant with all laws," the Adani Group stated.
 The US Department of Justice has indicted Gautam Adani, the founder of Adani Group, his nephew Sagar Adani, and other senior Adani Green executives for allegedly bribing or offering bribes to the tune of $265 million to Indian state government officials to get them to sign solar power contracts, while raising money for the same projects in the US by promising that the company abided by anti-bribery laws. This constitutes fraud under US federal securities law and, if proven, may invite criminal liabilities.
The US case rests on the premise that Adani Green, between 2020 and 2024,bribed government officials in Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, and possibly Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, and Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), to get their power distribution companies (discoms) to commit to purchasing solar power at above market rates. The timeline of the alleged bribes is from the middle of 2021 to the end of 2021. Biju Janata Dal, YSR Congress, DMK, and Congress governed four of the states mentioned, while J&K was effectively under central BJP rule.
Gandhi said the charges made by US prosecutors against Adani and his associates "is a vindication of what we have been saying".Asked about some states ruled by non-BJP parties being named by the US prosecutors, he said, "Wherever this has happened, be it any government, there should be an investigation. But the one involved in the corruption should be jailed."