Adani Group Links With Chinese Firm Threat To National Security: Cong

A signage near the entrance of Adani Corporate House in Ahmedabad, Gujarat (Image: AP)

The Congress on Thursday accused the Adani group of having business links with a Chinese company in all its infrastructure projects in roads, railways, port, and airport sectors, saying it posed a threat to national security.

Addressing a press conference, Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said that the company, fully owned by a Chinese national Chang Chian Ting, was a subcontractor for the Adani group and is a partner of Gautam Adani’s brother.

The Adani group has not made any comments on the charges made by the Congress yet. The firm had earlier denied indulging in wrongdoing.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also cited a media report and said on Twitter, “PMC Projects — Pradhan Mantri Chinese’ Projects? Why are India’s critical ports, airstrips, railway tracks and electricity lines being built and controlled by a Chinese company?” he asked.

Shrinate said China made several transgressions along the border on the Indian side and killed 20 of our soldiers.

It changed names of places in Arunachal Pradesh thrice, but the links that a Chinese-owned company has with the Adani group shows Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s special relationship with China, she said. “This is totally anti-national. If this is not a threat to national security, then what is?” she added.

She alleged Modi gave a clean chit to China because of “this relationship” and that is why he has not broken his silence yet on either the China or the Adani issue.

“The veil now stands lifted,” she said, and asked, “When will the government hold a probe into the Chinese company?”

Shrinate also asked the government to find the source of Rs 20,000 crore alleged to have been found deposited in “shell companies” of Adani group.

AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh said on Twitter, “Everyday the reason for the PM’s eloquent silence on Chinese is becoming evident. This is largely because of Adani’s intimate links to China. We had mentioned this first on March 3 in the ‘Hum Adani Ke Hain Kaun’ series and today there are further revelations.”

Congress leader Amitabh Dubey also said the Congress has asked several questions on China and the Adani issue but the government is yet to break its silence. “Now this is an issue of national security and they will have to reply,” Dubey said.

In related news, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday accused the Narendra Modi government of not walking the talk on democratic principles and causing disruptions in Parliament to divert attention from the Opposition’s demand for a JPC probe into the Adani issue.

Addressing a joint press conference of opposition leaders at the Constitution Club in New Delhi, after a “Tiranga March” from Parliament House to Vijay Chowk, he said the government’s intention was to get the Budget Session washed out.

He said the government talks a lot about democracy, but it does not follow what it says, and asserted that the Opposition was unitedly fighting for democracy and the Constitution.

“The budget of Rs 50-lakh crore was passed in just 12 minutes, but they (BJP) always allege that the opposition parties have no interest and they keep disturbing the House,” Kharge said.

“The disturbance was created by the ruling party. Whenever we made a demand, we were not allowed to speak. This has happened for the first time in my public life of 52 years and never has such a thing happened earlier,” he said.

The government’s “intention was to get the Budget Session washed out and we condemn this attitude”, the Congress chief said and added that “if this continues, democracy will be finished and we will move towards dictatorship”.

He said the issues raised by 18 to 19 opposition parties were on the Adani matter and how his wealth increased to Rs 12 lakh crore in just a period of 2 to 2.5 years.

“Why are you fearing from constituting a joint parliamentary committee probe even when the BJP will have its say as it will have majority members? Something is fishy, that is why the government is not agreeing to order a JPC probe into the Adani issue,” Kharge said.

He said the government did not answer on the Adani issue in Parliament and instead diverted attention by demanding Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s apology over his remarks in the UK.

The demand for the JPC probe was made to ensure transparency in the Adani case as MPs of opposition parties would have got an opportunity to inspect the documents related to the issue, the Congress chief said.

He also raised the issue of Gandhi’s disqualification as member of Lok Sabha, saying while he was disqualified at “lightning speed”, a BJP MP convicted and given a three-year sentence was not disqualified even after 16 days.