‘Political gimmick’: Gautam Adani dismisses Rahul Gandhi’s allegations against him as baseless
Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani has rejected charges that he has benefitted at the hands of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led BJP government and termed allegations levelled against him by former Congress president Rahul Gandhi as baseless and made out of political compulsions.
Gautam Adani, the world’s third richest person and also Asia’s richest man, was a guest at IndiaTV’s ‘Aap Ki Adalat’ where he opened up on a number of issues, including his brush with death on two occasions — once in 1998 when he was kidnapped, and the second during the ghastly 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
“I’m thankful to God, that I’ve seen two close-to-death experiences. I think it’s by God’s grace that I was saved,” Adani said.
The industrialist took several questions on the allegations against him by Rahul Gandhi ever since the Bharatiya Janata Party came to power at the Centre. Rahul, who loses no opportunity to suggest that the billionaire industrialist had the tacit support of PM Narendra Modi.
“Rahul ji is a senior leader of the Congress Party. I feel that as an industrialist, it doesn’t suit me to comment on him. He’s a respected leader, and I see that he too wants the nation to progress. I understand, he says certain things because of his political leanings, but I don’t take it as anything more than a political gimmick,” Adani said in response to a question.
When asked on Rahul’s specific allegations that the Modi government had “handed over all of India’s ports, airports, gas, transmission, power, mining, green energy, gas” to the Adani Group, the industrialist rejected any wrongdoing and said that every business that the group has entered into has been through proper processes.
“When you level an accusation, also tell me, is there anything that has been done without bidding? Is there one business that we have entered without bidding or without merit? Even we know that doing such a thing in India would create controversy. The Adani Group has a philosophy that nothing should be touched without a bid. Be it my ports, airports, roads, powerhouse… not one business has been acquired without bidding. It’s like questioning the one who stands first in the exam,” he said.
