Arrest Adani to save India's reputation, DKS tells Centre

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru

Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union government of protecting underfire billionaire Gautam Adani, Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar called for the industrialist’s arrest to save the country’s reputation. Addressing a press conference at the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) office in Bengaluru on Friday, he said: “Our leader Rahul Gandhi has been highlighting corruption by industrialist Adani. In spite of that, investigative agencies have not taken any action.” “An American Court has indicted Adani in connection with irregularities in a green energy project. The Centre must take this seriously and bring him to book. The BJP government has arrested many Opposition leaders including chief ministers, why can’t it arrest an industrialist?” he asked. A US court on Thursday charged Adani with using money from American investors to the tune of $ 265 million to bribe Indian officials to land solar energy projects. “There is no point in protecting Adani.

The government has to protect the people of the country who have invested thousands of crores in Adani’s companies,” Shivakumar said. Asked about BJP leaders challenging the Congress government to attach Adani’s assets in Karnataka, he said: “Let the Union government initiate an inquiry and communicate to the government to take action, then we will take suitable action here.” Replying to a query if the State government would cancel Adani Group’s Rs 20,000 crore investments in the state, he said: “We are not against any investment which is clean. We will discuss this during the Invest Karnataka event.”