AAP slams Modi government over Adani scams

-Calls Modi-Adani biggest scam since Independence

-Punjab MLAs, party office-bearers protest against BJP's anti-people policies, demand JPC probe

-Water cannons used at protesters in front of BJP office, women and several party workers suffered injuries 

Chandigarh, February 12

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday launched a stinging attack at the Modi-led NDA government over the Adani scams exposed by the Hindenburg report and termed the Modi-Adani scam as the biggest scam since Independence.

Addressing a press conference from its headquarters in Chandigarh on Sunday, the party's general secretary and Mandi Board chairman Harchand Singh Barsat and spokespersons Neel Garg, Dr Sunny Ahluwalia along with Shaminder Khinda questioned the BJP's anti-people and pro-capitalist policies over incessantly rising asserts of Adani group during the Modi government.

After the press conference, AAP MLAs and party office-bearers staged a protest in front of the BJP office in Chandigarh and raised slogans against the Modi government and Adani. Meanwhile, the administration resorted to water cannons and lathi-charge on the protesters, in which several party functionaries, including several women, were seriously injured.

Likewise, the Chandigarh Police arrested several AAP workers and office-bearers who were raising their voice and took them to the police station. The AAP leaders said the BJP cannot suppress their voice and they will continue to raise their voice against the 'government of capitalists' in the interest of the people.

"The Modi-Adani scam is the biggest scam since the country's independence. Prior to the Modi government, Adani's assets were Rs 37,000 crore in 2014 and Rs 59,000 crore in 2018.  In 2020, the same assets increased to Rs 2.5 lakh crore and in 2022, it increased to Rs 13 lakh crore. Due to the pro-capitalist policies of the Modi government, Adani jumped from 609th in 2014 to become the third richest person in the world in 2022, " Garg said. 

In his address, Harchand Singh Barsat said that while the country's economy is struggling with deplorable conditions and the common people are struggling with unemployment and inflation. By giving all the means to one person, PM Modi has made him the second richest person in the world. The BJP government has given  the country's coal, gas, electricity, water, roads, cement, steel, airports, ports, projects to Adani Group. 

It was because of the Modi government that Adani Group got power contracts in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, mines in Australia. When private banks in Australia were not ready to lend to him, he took a loan of Rs 7.5 thousand crore from SBI. Modi gave a loan of Rs 2.5 lakh crore to Adani. While the farmers of Punjab have a total debt of Rs 96,000 crore, due to which farmers have been committing suicide every day, those loans have not been waived by the Modi government.

He said that if a poor man apply for loan, he would have to go from pillar to post but the loan will not be passed and PM Modi gave a loan of Rs 2.5 lakh crore to Adani and when his companies went into losses, his Rs 84,000 crore was waived off.

He further said that in countries where there is tax exemption, Adani invested lakhs of crores in his company by opening 38 fake companies. When they invested this money in their companies, the stock prices went up. The companies weren't really profitable. Its share prices were not rising in terms of the company's profitability. In fact, share prices were rising according to what black money Adani was investing in his companies from abroad.

The value of its shares in India was rising incorrectly. When the price increased, based on that, he took loans from all the banks like SBI, LIC, Punjab National Bank etc. He could not repay all these loans as all the companies were running into losses, Barsat said while lashing out at BJP. 

He said that when all this came to light, the Modi government was running away. He is not answering why his government gave so much benefit to only one person. He said that crores of people of this country have invested their money in LIC. Someone has kept money for his daughter's marriage. Someone has kept money for old age pension. Money has been kept in case someone is sick in the house. Money has been invested to build the house. People have invested money in SBI as that money will be beneficial for them in distress. But today crores of people's money is sinking into LIC and SBI. 

In eight days, LIC's Rs 65,400 crore was submerged. Aam Aadmi Party has demanded a probe by the JPC into it.  If Modi ji is not wrong, then why is he running away from the investigation?, Barsat said. "Does this black money go from Adani to the BJP? The BJP puts that money into horse-trading. Neither the ED nor the CBI nor SEBI takes action against Adani. If action has to be taken against the opposition, then all the institutions become active. They start putting everyone in jail.