Rahul Gandhi continues critique of Adani Group over coal pricing concerns

New Delhi, October 18: In a recent press conference, Congress MP Rahul Gandhi addressed concerns about his apparent silence regarding Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar's meetings with industrialist Gautam Adani. Rahul Gandhi unequivocally stated that he had refrained from questioning Sharad Pawar on this matter because "Sharad Pawarji is not the Prime Minister of India."

The focus of his remarks was on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, whom he accused of protecting Adani's interests. This assertion was made in light of a report by the Financial Times, which claimed that Adani imports coal from Indonesia and that its price doubles when it enters India.

Rahul Gandhi made it clear that his choice not to question Sharad Pawar about his interactions with Adani was a result of the fact that Sharad Pawar does not hold the office of the Prime Minister and therefore is not in a position to safeguard Adani's interests. In response to a journalist's question about whether he had discussed the Adani issue with Sharad Pawar, Rahul Gandhi emphasised that the responsibility lay with Prime Minister Modi rather than with Sharad Pawar. He stated, "Sharad Pawar is not protecting Mr. Adani, Mr. Modi is.

And that's why I have asked this question to Mr. Modi, and not Sharad Pawar. If Mr. Sharad Pawar were sitting at the chair of the Prime Minister and were protecting Adani, then I would be asking this question to Mr. Sharad Pawar."

This clarification emerged in the wake of Sharad Pawar's recent meeting with Gautam Adani during the inauguration of a plant in Gujarat. Pawar's proximity to Adani had raised questions regarding Rahul Gandhi's position on the matter. However, Rahul Gandhi firmly stated that Sharad Pawar was not accountable for the issue since he does not hold the office of the Prime Minister.

Drawing attention to a recent Financial Times report titled 'The Mystery of Adani's Coal Import,' Rahul Gandhi contended that the rising electricity prices in India could be attributed to Adani's actions. He urged the public to consider this issue seriously, emphasising that every time they used electricity, their money was going into Adani's pockets due to his alleged overpricing. Rahul Gandhi also alluded to a staggering figure of Rs 32,000 crore and implied that this amount would only continue to grow. He asserted that such practices could not persist without the protection of Prime Minister Modi, raising concerns about the lack of a proper investigation into the matter.

In an effort to underscore the gravity of the situation, Rahul Gandhi explained, "Adaniji buys coal in Indonesia and when this coal reaches India, the price doubles. Thus Adani ji got Rs 12,000 crore from the public by over-invoicing. We have given electricity in Karnataka, will do the same in Madhya Pradesh... But the interesting thing is that Indian media is not raising any questions. The Financial Times story will bring down any government as it is a direct theft by a man, being protected again and again by the prime minister of India. I don't understand why the prime minister does not speak on this. It is not possible without his protection."

He also highlighted the discrepancy between the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) and the Financial Times, claiming that SEBI had not received the relevant documents while the Financial Times had successfully obtained them. This, according to Rahul Gandhi, indicated that the protection of Adani's interests went beyond lower government levels and reached the highest echelons of power.

- With inputs from agencies

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