Adani's Indictment Highlights Lapses in Ensuring Fair Competition, Says Congress

Congress has moved an adjournment motion on Gautam Aani's indictment in the parliament today. The indictment has pointed to systemic corruption in public procurement processes and highlighted grave regulatory lapses in ensuring fair competition, the party said.

Before the commencement of today's session, opposition MPs Manickam Tagore, Randeep Singh Surjewala and Manish Tewari moved adjournment notices in this regard.

In a notice addressing the Secretary-General Lok Sabha, Tagore called it "a definite matter of urgent importance."

"The recent US indictment of Gautam Adani, involving over $265 million in bribes for solar power deals and securities fraud, casts a dark shadow over the Adani Group.," he said.

"The silence of the Modi government on this matter raises concerns about India's integrity and global standing. PM Modi must answer questions regarding his friendship with Adani," Tagore added.

Tagore further said that Adani paid a bribe of Rs 21,750 crore to the Jagan Mohan Reddy government. Therefore, the Andhra Pradesh government is considering scrapping its solar power deal with SECI. He also demanded a CBI inquiry into these allegations.

On the same note, Congress MP Surjewala said in a notice, "These allegations point to systemic corruption in public procurement processes and highlight grave regulatory lapses in ensuring fair competition."

Read More | Adani Is Under PM Modi's Protection, Says Rahul Gandhi

Surjewala added that the indictment also raised critical concerns about the corrosion of institutional integrity and misuse of public sector entities. He criticised Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch for handling these dealings with a lack of transparency

He further reiterated the Congress' long-standing demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to investigate the implications of these allegations for governance, public accountability, and the credibility of India's democratic institutions.

Surjewala has also given a Suspension of Business Notice under Rule 267 in Rajya Sabha to discuss the issue of the indictment of Gautam Adani.

On the other hand, MP Tewari also demanded discussion on the "impact on India as a business destination and the robustness of our regulatory and oversight processes, following two indictments in the United States against the Adani conglomerate" in the Lok Sabha.

The Narendra Modi government is facing more vocal opposition this time, following a setback in the last general election that led the National Democratic Alliance to form a coalition.

On Monday, the first day of the winter session, PM Modi emphasised the importance of engaging in healthy discussions. He also took a jibe at the opposition and said that individuals rejected by the people are continuously attempting to control Parliament through disruptive tactics for their political gains.