Arrest Adani immediately, order JPC probe: Rahul Gandhi

After US prosecutors indicted billionaire Gautam Adani for his alleged role in a $265 million bribery scheme, Congress leader and Opposition leader Rahul Gandhi lost no time in demanding a detailed probe against Asia's second-richest man.

Addressing the media, Gandhi said the US indictment made it "pretty clear that Gautam Adani broke Indian and American laws." The main opposition party, Congress, has already sought a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the allegations.

The multiple counts of fraud levelled against Adani and seven other defendants, sent shares and bonds of Adani firms tumbling on Thursday. Adani Green Energy Ltd, the renewable energy arm of the conglomerate, scrapped a $600 million bond issue after the charges.

Demanding an extensive probe, Gandhi said the investigation should cover all states, irrespective of the party in power. 

Taking a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Ek hain to safe hain' (safety in unity) slogan, Gandhi said that as long as the prime minister and Adani are together, "they are safe" in India.

He said Adani should be arrested immediately and interrogated while his "protector" and SEBI chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch should be removed from her post and a probe should be initiated.

Gandhi further said he will raise the issue during the Winter session of Parliament beginning Monday. The entire opposition is together on the matter and will jointly raise the issue, he said.

He said the opposition's demand for a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Adani Group's transactions stands.

"I can guarantee that Adani won't be arrested or investigated in India because the Modi government is protecting him," Gandhi alleged.

When pointed out that nothing was happening in India against Adani despite him raising the issue several times, Gandhi said a lot has happened ever since he started raising the Adani issue. "The PM's credibility has been destroyed. The entire country knows Adani and PM are one. We will expose everyone and the entire network. Madhabi Buch was the first example," he said.

"India is in the grip of Adani. Adani is controlling India. We will not spare them," Gandhi said. "I'm confident we will work slowly and in the end, we will dismantle this structure."

"This is a political-financial-bureaucracy network as it captures India's political system (on one hand) with money and on the other hand, they work for profit. It is a virtuous cycle which is negative for the country," he said.

Gandhi said criminality and corruption are two different issues. But if Adani is working under due process, we don't have a problem," the senior Congress leader said.

"It is up to the government to investigate. Catch Adani and put him behind bars."

Gandhi claimed the retail and small investors would suffer losses because of this and stressed that it was his job as the leader of the opposition to warn them.

He said investigations should cover all states, irrespective of which party was in power.

"It is now pretty clear and established in the US that Mr Adani has broken both American and Indian laws. I'm wondering why Adani is running around a free man," he said.

The former Congress chief said while chief ministers have been arrested for smaller allegations, Adani has been involved in a Rs 2,000 crore scam and is still scot-free.

Gandhi said the charges made by US prosecutors against Adani and his associates "vindicate what we have been saying."

The former Congress chief accused Prime Minister Modi of protecting Adani. The PM is clearly protecting him. It is my job to raise this issue. We want Adani to be arrested immediately."

"We want to show the country that Adani ji will not be arrested because the PM is protecting him," he said, adding, "Even after a scam of Rs 2,000 crore, I guarantee he will neither be arrested nor will there be any probe against him."

When asked about US prosecutors naming some states ruled by non-BJP parties, 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."