Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party said it had no reason to defend billionaire Gautam Adani on Tuesday following a US indictment for alleged bribery to secure power deals in India.
The main opposition Congress party has accused Modi and his Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of shielding Adani and stonewalling an independent probe into its affairs in the country, allegations the ruling party has denied. Congress workers have also staged street protests demanding a parliamentary inquiry.
U.S. prosecutors have charged Adani, the founder of Port to Power Group, his nephew Sagar Adani and six others with their alleged roles in a $265 million scheme to bribe Indian officials to supply electricity to five Indian regions. deals can be secured.
The group has denied the allegations, calling them “baseless” and adding that it will “seek all possible legal recourse”.
India’s federal investigative agencies and the markets regulator did not comment or respond to the indictment. Reuters Questions
“We have nothing to defend him and we are not involved. Let him defend himself,” BJP spokesman Gopalkrishna Agrawal said by phone. “We are not against industrialists. We consider them partners in nation building. But if they do something wrong, the law will take its course.”
Agarwal’s comments came after Andhra Pradesh, which is ruled by a coalition government including the BJP, will say whether it is possible to cancel the power supply contract tied to the Adani Group in the state.
Sources said Reuters On Tuesday, Andhra is likely to suspend the contract and ask the federal government to investigate the allegations.
The Adani Group and the Andhra government did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
U.S. authorities have accused Gautam Adani and other defendants of obtaining contracts to supply solar power to the states of Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh, as well as to Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir. Agreed to pay bribes to unknown Indian government officials. IIOJK), between 2021 and 2022.
All the states named by the US authorities were then ruled by parties opposed to Modi’s ruling coalition. These parties have denied any wrongdoing and said that they have not dealt with Adani but with a federal government agency.
The Adani Group’s businesses are controlled by various parties in Indian states, and the BJP’s Agarwal said he expects that to continue.
“They have exposure in all the states. And the projects will continue, they will continue,” he said.