Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 8: In a sudden change of track, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi while launching a frontal attack on the Congress also roped in some top industrialists of the country, hitherto considered to be close to him, and said he suspect some “close deals” between the Congress and the top industrialists that prompted the party’s “crown prince” Rahul Gandhi to stop attacking them since the declaration of the Lok Sabha elections.
While attacking the Congress of having entered into some “secrets deals” with industrial houses, Mr Modi also levelled charges against Ambanis and Adanis of generating black money.
Addressing an election rally in Warangal in Telangana on Wednesday, Mr Modi asked why Rahul Gandhi has “stopped talking of Ambani and Adani in this election all of sudden.” suggesting that a “secret deal” may have been struck.
“You would have seen that the Congress shahzada, for the last five years, has been repeating this. Since his Rafale row was grounded, he started repeating this – first, he spoke of five industrialists, and then Ambani-Adani.
Wondering why ever since elections were announced, the Congress has stopped abusing the duo, Mr Modi said, “the shahzada (Rahul Gandhi) should declare – how much have they taken from Ambani-Adani? How much of black money has been taken? Have tempos full of cash reached the Congress? What’s the deal that’s been struck? Why did you stop abusing Ambani-Adani overnight? Zaroor daal mein kucchh kaala hai (something is wrong). You abused them for five years and then it stopped overnight?” Surely something is amiss,” he said.
The Prime Minister’s counterstrike is significant because Mr Gandhi has repeatedly accused the Narendra Modi government of favouring top industrialists. The Congress leader has also said that while the BJP government has made 22 Indians “arabpati (billionaires)”, the Congress aims to make crores of people “lakhpati” if it comes to power in these elections.
The location of the Prime Minister’s retort was also significant. Telangana, a Congress-ruled state, recently signed several MoUs with the Adani Group totalling an investment of ₹ 12,400 crore across various sectors.
Mr Modi apparently has deliberately ignored the fact that Rahul Gandhi even on Tuesday had attacked Ambanis and Adanis in an election rally in Jharkhand. Rahul Gandhi has consistently attacked the Centre, and the Prime Minister, over policies he says are meant to specifically benefit these industrialists. And Adani-Ambani has been a recurring theme of his campaign speeches. Addressing a campaign rally in Jharkhand Tuesday, Rahul spoke about the need for greater representation for tribals and added, “The BJP says you are vanvasi and they give all the forest land to Adani.”
“Whatever he does is for the billionaires. He has 22-25 friends like Adani and Ambani and whatever work is being done is for them only. The land is for them, the forest is for them, the media is theirs, infrastructure is theirs, flyovers are theirs, petrol is theirs… everything is for them. Dalits, tribals, those from the backward communities used to get reservation in the public sector… now they are privatising everything… And they are openly saying Railways will also be privatised… this is your asset sector, railways, roads, flyovers… these are yours… And not Adani’s. He gives everything to him.”
“People from the media are here… do they ever talk about tribals… never… they will show Ambani’s wedding 24 hours,” he said.
Reacting to Mr Modi’s attack, the Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said, “Times are changing. Friends are no longer friends…! After completion of three phases of elections, today the Prime Minister has started attacking his own friends. It is becoming clear that Modiji’s chair is shaking. This is the real trend of the result.”
In response to Modi’s comments, Congress’s Praveen Chakravarty said, “Clearly PM Modi is pinched and feels the heat of Rahul Gandhi’s constant exposure of his nexus with Adani-Ambani at the cost of the common person and the nation.”
