NEW DELHI: At a press conference held at the party headquarters, Aam Aadmi Party’s Delhi State President Saurabh Bharadwaj alleged that the BJP government is actively protecting industrialist Gautam Adani from facing corruption charges in the United States.
Bharadwaj said, “Why is the BJP government busy protecting Adani? A corruption case is underway against Adani in a US District Court.” He claimed that despite six months having passed since a US District Court issued a summons to Adani, the Indian government has still not served it. “Why has the Government of India not delivered the summons to Adani even after six months?” he asked.
“When allegations are made against AAP leaders, the BJP advises them to appear in court. So why is it hiding Adani now?” Bharadwaj questioned, adding, “This step by the Government of India is tarnishing the country’s image worldwide.”
According to Bharadwaj, social media is abuzz with reports that the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission initiated a lawsuit in November 2024 against Gautam Adani and his nephew Sagar Adani. The summons, issued on September 21, 2024, required them to respond within 21 days. He said it was sent to Adani’s residences in Ahmedabad and the US, but has still not reached him because delivering it falls under the responsibility of India’s Law and Justice Department, which is not acting.
He emphasised that even a small institution in the US can operate independently, noting, “The summons to Adani was not sent by the US High Court or Supreme Court, but by a small District Court.”
Bharadwaj claimed the case involves paying ₹2,200 crore in bribes to Indian government officials. The US became involved, he said, because Adani allegedly took $175 million from American investors for a project that sought to raise $750 million and aimed to generate $2 billion in profit over 20 years. Under the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, foreign companies cannot pay bribes to gain benefits when using American taxpayer money, he added.
Citing details from the summons, Bharadwaj said Adani planned to pay $256 million (₹2,200 crore) in bribes, part of which has already been paid. “The US caught this corruption, and since American investors’ money was involved, a US District Court sent Adani the summons, asking him to respond within 21 days,” he said.
Bharadwaj called the government’s handling of the matter “laughable and shameful”: “The Government of India says they cannot find Adani to serve him the summons. This is absurd. When AAP leaders were accused, the BJP always asked why they were avoiding ED or CBI, why they were not appearing in court. Today we ask—why is Adani running away? Why is he not appearing in court?”
He alleged a long-standing pattern where Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s foreign visits are followed by Adani securing major projects in those countries. As examples, he said:
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In December 2023, after Kenya’s Prime Minister visited Modi in Delhi, Adani secured a $1.85 billion airport duties contract and a $736 million power transmission lines contract in Kenya. Public protests forced the Kenyan government to cancel the contracts.
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In 2015 and 2019, after Modi’s visits to Sri Lanka, Adani received a ₹442 crore power project there, which a senior Sri Lankan official told Parliament was awarded under pressure from the Indian government.
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In 2015 and 2021, following Modi’s visits to Bangladesh, Adani secured a $1.7 billion power supply project, which also drew criticism.
Bharadwaj added that similar patterns have emerged in other countries. “The allegation has always been that there is some connection between PM Modi visiting a country and Adani getting a major project there,” he said.
He concluded, “Until now, these were allegations against the Government of India. But the US court issuing a summons to Adani, and the Government of India failing to serve it even after six months, shows that the government is protecting Adani in a corruption case in a US District Court. This action is damaging India’s global reputation.”
