The BJP is gearing up to counter the Opposition’s Adani offensive in the winter session of Parliament

The indictment of Gautam Adani by US prosecutorsalleging bribery and fraud, is expected to echo in Parliament during the upcoming winter session. With Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi saying the Opposition will raise the Adani issue in the coming session, all eyes are on how the ruling BJP will be able to navigate the firestorm.

The BJP is gearing up for a stormy winter session

The Rahul Gandhi-led Congress wasted no time in attacking the BJP, claiming a the close connection between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Gautam Adani. The opposition seized on the US prosecutors’ report, which accuses Adani and others of bribing state electricity distribution companies (SDCs) to win solar power contracts.

In response, the The BJP was quick to respondchallenging the credibility of the allegations and questioning the accountability of their own opposition. The party pointed out that the states named in the indictment – ​​Odisha, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh and Andhra Pradesh – were under the rule of opposition parties (BJD, DMK, Congress and YSRCP) during the alleged bribery period between July 2021 and February 2022.

BJP’S COUNTER-ATTACK STRATEGY

1. Blaming the opposition parties: The The BJP turned its attention to the oppositionasking why their governments allowed the alleged bribes to be paid to state agencies. BJP leaders are demanding answers from the Congress and its allies about their role during this period.

2. Presumption of innocence: The ruling party emphasized that the US indictment contains only allegations, not proven charges. They pointed to the report’s own disclaimer that the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

3. Global politics vs. Domestic politics: BJP leaders have expressed concern that the opposition is relying on a foreign report to attack an Indian company, arguing that such allegations, if true, should be addressed within the Indian legal framework. They drew parallels, saying Indian courts could similarly charge American companies for corrupt practices in India, raising the question of whether foreign governments would tolerate interference in their domestic politics.

4. Timing of the allegations: The BJP has questioned the timing of the report, suggesting it is part of a politically motivated strategy to destabilize the government ahead of the winter session that begins on November 25. The party also linked the timing to developments in the US, including Donald Trump’s presidential campaign, suggesting geopolitical currents.

KEY PRINCIPLES AGAINST THE ADANI GROUP

The indictment alleges that Adani Green Energy, in collaboration with US-based Azure Power, has secured a 12GW solar power contract with SECI. To push state electricity distribution companies to accept expensive power deals, the companies allegedly paid $265 million in bribes in four Indian states. Andhra Pradesh received the largest share of these payments.

However, the Adani Group has strongly denied allegations of bribery and securities fraud as “baseless”.