Modi trying to protect Adani: Telangana CM Revanth Reddy

Hyderabad, Dec 18 (PTI) Alleging that the country’s reputation was “hurt” following the indictment of Gautam Adani in a US court, Telangana Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi is trying to protect the industrialist.

The chief minister, who participated in a ‘Chalo Raj Bhavan’ here as per a call given by the AICC, said the Congress government is ready to pass a resolution in the Assembly seeking JPC on the Adani issue if the opposition BRS extends support.

Congress and the INDI Alliance demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) investigation into the Adani issue, he said.

The opposition also asked the Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman to appoint JPC and hold a debate on the issue in Parliament. “But, the Prime Minister put pressure on Lok Sabha Speaker and Rajya Sabha Chairman and is not ready to take up debate or to form JPC… Adani and PM Modi brought disgrace to the country.

“That’s why, out of compulsion, we left the Assembly and did ‘padayatra’ and held dharna in front of Raj Bhavan as per Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi’s call,” he said.

Modi is trying to “protect Adani”, he alleged.

Reddy asked as to what Modi’s relations with Adani, who is facing allegations under the Foreign Corruption Practice Act in the US.

When America started taking action against the top industrialist, why was Modi not ready to act against Adani in India, he asked.

The protest by Congress is not going to end with the ‘Chalo Raj Bhavan’ and the party would also organise a ‘dharna’ in front of Rashtrapati Bhavan if the JPC is not appointed, he said.

The Congress is protesting through democratic means but the PM is not ready to take action because Adani would go to Tihar jail if JPC is appointed. “That’s why the PM is trying to protect his special friend,” he claimed.

The options before Modi are either to send his friend to Tihar jail or a prison in America, he further claimed.

The BRS is mocking him and Congress for participating in the protest despite being in power, but it “surrendered” before the BJP to escape from “arrests”. Hence, BRS is not talking about the Adani issue, he alleged.

Besides the chief minister, his cabinet colleagues, AICC in-charge of party affairs in Telangana Deepa Dasmunsi, TPCC president B Mahesh Kumar Goud and other leaders of the ruling Congress participated in the ‘Chalo Raj Bhavan’ protest here.

The CM, who also held a placard, sat on the road before addressing the gathering, while the Congress activists held placards and raised slogans against Modi.

The protest, also against “PM Modi not visiting Manipur” where violence broke out an year ago, was organised by the state Congress as per a call given by the AICC.

The protest rally began from the Indira Gandhi statue near Hussain Sagar lake and reached Raj Bhavan.