Prime Minister Narendra Modi, speaking in the Parliament on Wednesday in response to the debate on president’s address, dismissed the allegations levelled against him by opposition leaders as baseless. On Tuesday, following the presidential address, members of opposition parties in the Parliament had accused PM Modi of harbouring close relations with Gautam Adani.
Adani Group, helmed by Gautam Adani, was a matter of much debate in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday as several opposition leaders demanded a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) to look into the allegations against Adani raised by short-seller firm Hindenburg Research. Even on Wednesday, as PM Modi was delivering his speech, opposition members raised slogans re-iterating their demand for a JPC probe into the meteoric rise of Gautam Adani’s business empire.
The prime minister added that the opposition’s allegations against him will not be believed by the citizens of India. He said, “Trust of crores of people is my protective shield, it can't be breached by your abuses and allegations. [...] People know Modi has come to their help in times of crisis, how will they agree with your abuses and allegations”
Even as members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chanted ‘Modi, Modi’ in support of the PM’s speech that touched upon previous achievements of the government, opposition leaders retorted with chants of ‘Adani, Adani’ to bring the debate back to the allegations around Adani Group’s business practices and its proximity to the BJP government.
Notably, PM Modi avoided directly addressing the questions around Adani Group that were raised in the Parliament over the past few days. On Tuesday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi even showcased pictures featuring Gautam Adani and PM Narendra Modi together, accusing the prime minister of favouring Adani in several cases of government contract issuals.
