Centre must arrest Adani to save India's reputation, says Karnataka Dy CM DK Shivakumar

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar

Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union government of protecting industrialist Gautam Adani, Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister and KPCC President DK Shivakumar on Friday called for his arrest to save the country's reputation.

Addressing a press conference at the KPCC office, he said, "Our leader Rahul Gandhi has been highlighting corruption by industrialist Adani. Despite that, investigative agencies have not taken any action."

"An American Court has indicted Adani in connection with irregularities in a green energy project. The Centre must take this seriously and bring him to book. The BJP government has arrested many Opposition leaders including chief ministers, why can't it arrest an industrialist," he questioned.

"There is no point in protecting Adani. The government has to protect the people of the country who have invested thousands of crores in Adani's companies," he urged.

Asked about BJP leaders challenging the Congress government to attach Adani's assets in Karnataka, he said, "Let the Union government initiate an inquiry and communicate to the state government to take action, then we will take suitable action here."

Replying to a query if the State government would cancel Adani Group's Rs 20,000 crore investments in the state, he said, "We are not against any investment which is clean. We will discuss this during the Invest Karnataka event."

Meanwhile, Opposition parties on Thursday pressed for a JPC probe into alleged bribery allegations with Congress leader Jairam Ramesh alleging that a key player in the "corruption scandal" is the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI), a Government of India company.

The Adani Group has denied the allegations made by the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission against directors of Adani Green. While the BJP said the law will take its course and slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

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