New Delhi : Amid alleged bribery and fraud charges by the US against Gautam Adani, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Thursday called for Adani's arrest and said that it is "clear" and "established" that the Adani Group Chairman has broken both American and Indian laws.
Earlier, a five-count criminal indictment was unsealed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York, charging prominent Indian executives including Chairman of the Adani Group Gautam Adani by linking them to an alleged bribery and fraud scheme.
"Wherever there is corruption, investigation should be done. But investigation will begin with Adani. Unless he is arrested, it won't be credible. So, begin it from there. Arrest Adani, interrogate him and then nab whoever is involved. In the end, Narendra Modi's name will come out because BJP's entire funding structure is in his hands. So, even if the PM wants, he can't do anything. In a way, Adani has hijacked the country. India is in Adani's grip,." Rahul Gandhi said.
Addressing a press conference, Rahul Gandhi said, "It is now pretty clear and established in America that Adani has broken both American law and Indian law. He is being indicted in the United States and I am wondering why Adani is still running around a free man in this country. Chief Ministers have been arrested and Adani has apparently done one 2000 cr scam and multiple others probably but there is no investigation."
"We have been demanding for many days that Adani ji should be arrested. He should be arrested today itself. Madhabi Buch (SEBI Chairperson) who is his protector, who did not do any investigation, should be removed and an investigation should be done," he further added.
The Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition also alleged that the Prime Minister is protecting Adani and is involved in corruption with him.
"This has been clearly indicated. Narendra Modi gave the slogan "Ek hai to Safe hai". In India, if Adani and Modi are one, they are safe. Nothing can be done against Adani in Hindustan. Chief Minister has been jailed for 10-15 crores but Adani does a scam of 2000 crores and he is roaming free," Rahul said.
He also asserted that it is his responsibility as the Leader of the Opposition to raise this issue.
"The Prime Minister is 100% protecting this individual. Adani ji fully supports the BJP. These are established facts. Our demand is for a JPC (Joint Parliamentary Committee), but we also want Adani ji to be arrested," he added.
Rahul Gandhi also claimed that it is not about only Adani but an entire network. "Young people in India are not getting jobs, and if someone commits even a minor crime, they end up in jail. But we want to show the country that this is not just about one individual--it's an entire network. We have clearly exposed Madhabi Puri Buch, and we will reveal more such individuals in the future," the Congress MP said.
Rahul Gandhi, further asserted that wherever such scams happen, whether under an Opposition government or BJP, there should be an investigation, and punishment must be given.
"But the investigation must begin with Adani ji because the BJP's entire funding structure is in his hands. In a way, Adani ji has hijacked India. We have successfully proven to every youngster in the country that Adani ji and Modi ji are the same thing. We will reveal the entire network to the country. The truth will come out, and we are not going to back down," he said.
The LoP also mentioned that retail investors are being put at risk. "This is why we raised the issue of Madhabi Buch, as her responsibility is to protect retail investors. Adani ji has lied to investors in both America and India. When America is saying that he committed crimes, why are the CBI and SEBI silent here?" Rahul asked further.
However, in its first reaction, the spokesperson of Adani Group denied all allegations made by the US prosecutors.
"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. 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."
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," a statement from Adani group said.