Patna: A day after a US court indicted industrialist Gautam Adani on charges of "bribery and fraud", the state Congress on Friday sought his immediate arrest and formation of a comprehensive joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to bring out the whole truth. The party leadership also announced plans to hold statewide protests over the issue.
Addressing a media conference at the state party headquarters, Bihar Congress president Akhilesh Prasad Singh on Friday demanded the arrest of Adani to ensure vital evidence doesn't get destroyed. "We also demand a JPC into the whole issue to expose the unholy business deals. The Congress has always been protesting against unethical business procedures," Singh, also a Rajya Sabha MP, said.
Stating that the announcement by the US court badly dented the image of the country globally, Singh sought a complete ban on businessmen who earn wealth through illicit means, wondering how the controversial industrialist remains "safe" in the country.
"We cannot allow the country's reputation to be tarnished ... the uncovering of the scandal has caused bond prices of the Adani group to crash. It is the hard-earned money of the common people," he said, vowing to aggressively raise this issue in the upcoming session of Parliament.
The former Union minister said the Congress consistently questioned Adani's increasing net worth and exposed his corruption, but the BJP govt continuously "tried to cover it up". "Illicit funds are being used to weaken the opposition," he said.
Replying to a query, he said if attempts were made to secure electricity contracts by bribing officials in non-BJP-ruled states, then the BJP-ruled states should also be investigated.
When pointed out that the BJP, which is in power at the Centre, sought to distance itself from the controversy, the Congress leader brandished a picture of Prime Minister Narendra Modi with Gautam Adani and said, "No two persons have been photographed together so many times ... Show me one instance of any leader of our party posing with him."
Senior party leaders such as the state's party in-charge Sushil Kumar Pasi, Congress legislature party leader in assembly Shakeel Ahmad Khan, organisational in-charge Brajesh Pandey and media department chairman Rajesh Rathore were also present at the press conference.
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Lalu backs Cong demand
RJD chief Lalu Prasad on Friday came out in strong support of Congress's demand for the immediate arrest of billionaire Gautam Adani. "(Congress MP) Rahul Gandhi has rightly said. Adani must be arrested," Lalu told reporters. When asked if the INDIA block will return to power in Jharkhand, he angrily asked, "Pahle giraftar karayen na Adani ke. Sarkar toh hamari hai hi wahan (First get Adani arrest. Our govt is already there)."