NEW DELHI: In a surprising turn of events, the INDIA alliance faced internal divisions as members criticised the Lok Sabha’s decision to expel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra. Accusations surrounding the compromise of Moitra’s Lok Sabha login credentials in exchange for questioning business magnate Gautam Adani’s conglomerate raised tensions within the alliance.
However, counter to this sentiment, the Bihar Mahagathbandhan took a different approach by extending an invitation to Pranav Adani, the son of Gautam Adani, to their investors’ summit held on Thursday. During the summit, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had previously labelled Gautam Adani as a corrupt businessperson, received praise from Pranav Adani as a “visionary leader.”
FLASH: Adani Group’s Director, Pranav Adani, hails Bihar CM Nitish Kumar at the Bihar Global Investors Summit 2023.
With plans for a substantial Rs 8,700 crore investment in Bihar, the group eyes three new sectors, potentially offering opportunities for 10,000 individuals.… pic.twitter.com/KpDXGLjx7v
— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) December 14, 2023
This shift in dynamics comes after Kumar, alongside his alliance members, had demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into allegations of public sector undertakings (PSUs) funnelling money into the Adani group during the Budget Session of Parliament.
Kumar emphasised the right of any member or
NEW DELHI: In a surprising turn of events, the INDIA alliance faced internal divisions as members criticised the Lok Sabha’s decision to expel Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra. Accusations surrounding the compromise of Moitra’s Lok Sabha login credentials in exchange for questioning business magnate Gautam Adani’s conglomerate raised tensions within the alliance.
However, counter to this sentiment, the Bihar Mahagathbandhan took a different approach by extending an invitation to Pranav Adani, the son of Gautam Adani, to their investors’ summit held on Thursday. During the summit, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, who had previously labelled Gautam Adani as a corrupt businessperson, received praise from Pranav Adani as a “visionary leader.”
This shift in dynamics comes after Kumar, alongside his alliance members, had demanded a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into allegations of public sector undertakings (PSUs) funnelling money into the Adani group during the Budget Session of Parliament.
Kumar emphasised the right of any member or political party to raise such demands in Parliament. “Any member or political party has the right to raise a demand in Parliament. The government should pay attention to the demand,” the Bihar CM said.
However, the business summit marked a notable departure from the earlier stance, raising questions about the consistency of the Janata Dal (United) supremo’s position against the government. Even Tejashwi Yadav, the Deputy Chief Minister, who had previously taken jabs at the Adani conglomerate, seemed to have shifted gears.
Earlier in the year, when the Enforcement Directorate (ED) conducted a thorough search of Yadav’s premises, he questioned their actions, stating, “The CBI and ED have either got confused or does my face resemble that of Adani?” He accused authorities of conducting raids for years without finding any substantial evidence.
The unexpected development of the JD(U)-RJD alliance inviting Pranav Adani for investment now aligns them with the same fold as Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar, who has remained a staunch ally of Gautam Adani. Pranav’s presence at the summit is being viewed as the gathbandhan‘s strategic move ahead of the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
However, this move has sparked a multitude of questions regarding the alliance’s earlier joint attacks against the Adani conglomerate, raising concerns about potential hypocrisy in their stance.
