‘Oppn overtly insinuating the PM’: Sitharaman on Kharge's claims amid Adani row
1 min read . Updated: 08 Feb 2023, 01:08 PM IST
PremiumIndirectly referring to Adani row, Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge claimed that the wealth of one of the closest friends of PM Modi increased by 13 times in 2.5 years.
Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Wednesday said that the Congress leaders are insinuating Prime Minister Narendra Modi amid the Hindenburg-Adani row figured prominently in the debate with the opposition MPs pressing their demand for a probe by a Joint Parliamentary Committee.
“It's very smart to say we are giving data, we will corroborate it...but it is completely infused with insinuation against PM Modi and that's what we are objecting to. They are overtly insinuating the PM," she replied to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge's claims which indirectly referred to Adani.
Kharge claimed that the wealth of one of the closest friends of PM Modi increased by 13 times in 2.5 years.
"In 2014 it was ₹50,000 crore while in 2019 it became ₹1 lakh crore. What magic happened that suddenly in two years assets worth ₹12 lakh crores came, is it due to favor of friendship?" he asked.
“If I speak the truth, is it anti-national? I'm not anti-national. I'm more patriotic than anyone here. I'm a 'bhoomi-putra'...You're looting the country and telling me that I'm anti-national," he added.
On Tuesday, Rahul Gandhi also led the opposition attack in Lok Sabha over the Hindenburg report, claiming that the meteoric rise in Gautam Adani's fortunes happened after the BJP came to power in 2014 as he rose in the global rich list from the 609th to the second spot eventually.
He asked how much money Adani has given to the BJP in the last 20 years, including through electoral bonds. Gandhi made a barrage of allegations against Modi in the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's Address in Lok Sabha as the first Opposition speaker.
PM Modi will reply to the debate on the Motion of Thanks to the President's address, later today in the Lok Sabha.
(With ANI inputs)
