'PM Narendra Modi Never Faces Media Over Uncomfortable Issues': Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Hindenburg-Adani Row

Hindenburg-Adani Row: In his remarks in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi had alleged that the meteoric rise in Gautam Adani's fortunes happened after the BJP came to power in 2014 and he rose from the 609th to the second spot in the global rich list.

NEW DELHI: Congress MP Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Thursday attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for running away from answering questions raised by Rahul Gandhi amid a bitter political storm over US short-seller Hindenburg Research’s report on the Gautam Adani Group. Speaking to reporters outside Parliament, the Bengal Congress leader said that the Prime Minister never faces the media because he does not like to answer uncomfortable questions.  

“The PM never faces the media because he doesn’t want to listen to uncomfortable questions. Rahul Gandhi’s questions were uncomfortable. PM doesn’t have any answer at his disposal to refute every charge by Rahul Gandhi,” Adhir Ranjan said while referring to the Adani issue.

Delhi | The PM never faces the media because he doesn’t want to listen to uncomfortable questions. Rahul Gandhi’s questions were uncomfortable. PM doesn’t have any answer at his disposal to refute every charge by Rahul Gandhi: Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, Congress MP on Adani issue pic.twitter.com/iTe1JYtCmQ — ANI (@ANI) February 9, 2023

Chowdhury had on Wednesday targeted the Centre over the ongoing Adani row and said that there is "commotion" in the Bharatiya Janata Party, adding that Rahul Gandhi has "hit the right spot".

The Congress leader alleged that the BJP is "advocating" for an industrialist. "Rahul Gandhi has hit the right spot and due to it, there is commotion in BJP. For the first time, a ruling party is advocating for an industrialist. We`re not saying this on our own. It has come in the Hindenburg report and we are raising the issue. What`s wrong with that?" Chowdhury said while addressing Lok Sabha during the Motion of Thanks to the President`s Address.

Earlier, his Congress colleague K C Venugopal also alleged that the Modi government was "running away" from an investigation by a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the allegations against the Adani Group as it wanted to "hide something".

Leaders from different opposition parties in the Upper House also alleged that the President's speech missed out key issues, especially the "attacks" on minority Muslims, price rise and unemployment, and demanded a caste-based census. Several of them demanded a JPC probe into the Hindenburg-Adani issue.

Speaking on the Motion of Thanks on the President's Address in Rajya Sabha, Leader of Opposition Mallikarjun Kharge asked why the government was "shying away" from an investigation and endorsed the demand for a JPC probe.

"This House has the greatest tradition. That House also has the greatest tradition. Whenever this type of big scam is raised in the public domain, it is the right of the parliamentarians to ask for an inquiry from the government. If the government does not want to hide any truth, then it should come forward for a JPC inquiry, like during the UPA rule, how many JPC inquiries we have done. We are asking why are you running away from JPC?" Venugopal said.

He claimed there was high unemployment in the country but some media platforms were spreading venom in the country in the name of Hindu-Muslim. In his remarks in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi also alleged that the meteoric rise in Gautam Adani's fortunes happened after the BJP came to power in 2014 and he rose from the 609th to the second spot in the global rich list.

The Congress leader's remarks had drawn a sharp response from the treasury benches, with Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju asking him not to level "wild allegations" and to furnish proof of his claims. Outside Parliament, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad had accused Gandhi of making baseless, shameless and reckless allegations and charged that the Congress and the Gandhi family were involved in "big scams" that "tarnished" the image of the country.