“Adani, Adani, Adani”: Rahul Gandhi questions Modi's link with Adani in Lok Sabha

Launching a blistering attack on Modi government for “facilitating” industrialist Gautam Adani’s businesses, former Congress president and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi, in reply to the President’s address in Lok Sabha on Tuesday said that rules were tweaked to help Adani at the behest of PM Modi.

Questioning Modi’s relationship with Adani, Rahul Gandhi said, “After the BJP took over the government in 2014, it changed the existing rule that only a company/person with experience in aviation should be given the responsibility of developing airports”.

“After these six airports were handed over to Adani. Then India's most profitable airport was hijacked from GVK using agencies like CBI, ED and was given to Adani by Govt of India and this was facilitated by the prime minister of this country,” he added.

"Adani ji never fails in any business he ventures into - solar energy, wind energy. During my yatra people asked me how Adani attained such success in so many sectors, what is his relationship with the Prime Minister," Rahul Gandhi said in Lok Sabha, alleging that the businessman had gained contracts in the countries that PM Modi had visited.

Rahul Gandhi spoke about how Adani became the world's second richest man, "In 2014, Adani used to be 609 on the list of richest people in the world. Then, as if by magic, Adani rose to second place," Rahul said.

His comments come amid the Adani-Hindenburg issue that has been the cause of disruption in both Houses since the Parliament session began on January 31.

The Adani Group has called the Hindenburg report a "malicious combination of selective misinformation and stale, baseless and discredited allegations that have been tested and rejected by India's highest courts".

“From Tamil Nadu, Kerala to Himachal Pradesh we have been listening one name everywhere 'Adani'. Across the entire country, it's just 'Adani', 'Adani', 'Adani'...people used to ask me that Adani enters any business and never fails,” Rahul Gandhi said.

Speaking at the inauguration of HAL facility in Karnataka, PM Modi on Monday said that the state-owned plane maker’s growing prowess and contribution to India’s self-reliance had exposed “the old lies and those who had made the false accusations.”

Responding to the prime minister's remark, Rahul Gandhi said, "Yesterday PM said at HAL that we hurled the wrong allegations. But in reality, HAL's contract of 126 aircraft went to Anil Ambani."