Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Friday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his remarks to the US press on the controversy involving Adani Group, saying it was not a "personal matter" but one about the country.
Gandhi made the remarks while addressing youths at an event in the Lalganj area during the second day of his visit to his parliamentary constituency.
The Congress leader was referring to PM Modi's media interaction during his recent US visit when he was quizzed about discussions with US President Donald Trump and the ongoing controversy about the Adani Group. The prime minister said it was "an individual issue" and such issues are not discussed when two world leaders meet, Gandhi commented.
"Narendra Modi ji, this is not a personal matter. It's a matter of the country," Gandhi said.
He alleged that PM Modi told the American press that business tycoon Gautam Adani was his friend he would not ask Trump anything about him.
A case of "corruption and theft" was pending against Adani in the US, Gandhi further alleged.
"And what our PM says, it's an individual matter and we don't discuss it! Had he truly been India's prime minister, he would have asked Trump about the matter and told him that he would get it enquired and if needed send him (to the US) for inquiry. But no, he said it's a personal matter," Gandhi told the audience.
On February 14, PM Modi said he did not discuss the bribery charges that the US government had levelled against business tycoon Gautam Adani during his meeting with Trump. At a press briefing at the White House, Modi was asked if he raised the issue of the indictment of Adani and his key associates in a New York court over his involvement in an alleged bribery scheme.
"Firstly, India is a democratic country, and our culture and our thought philosophy are, 'Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam'. We consider the whole world as one family. I believe every Indian is mine," he said.
The prime minister went on to state that such "individual issues" are not discussed when two world leaders meet.
"Two prominent leaders of two countries never discuss such individual issues," he said.
Trump also made no mention of the case during the presser.
Last year, the Department of Justice under the previous president Joe Biden charged Adani for allegedly being part of a scheme to pay over USD 250 million (about Rs 2,100 crore) bribe to Indian officials in exchange for favourable terms for solar power contracts.
This was concealed from the US banks and investors from whom the Adani group raised billions of dollars for the project, the prosecutors had alleged last year citing US FCPA law that allows pursuing foreign corruption allegations if they involve certain links to American investors or markets.
The Adani group denied the allegations as baseless.
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