'Before 2014, Daily New Scams Were Being Reported': Kiren Rijiju's Swipe At Congress In Lok Sabha

Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday launched a blistering attack over the Hindenburg report claiming that the meteoric rise in Gautam Adani's fortunes happened after the BJP came to power.

Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju

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New Delhi: Lashing out at Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his remarks on Adani row, Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday said before 2014, new scams were being reported in newspapers daily and people were losing faith in politicians. Speaking in the Lok Sabha, Rijiju said Prime Minister Narendra Modi re-established public's faith in the government and elected representatives.

Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday launched a blistering attack in Lok Sabha over the Hindenburg report, claiming that the meteoric rise in Gautam Adani's fortunes happened after the BJP came to power in 2014, as he rose in the global rich list from the 609th to the second spot eventually.

Responding to his remarks, Rijiju, as quoted by news agency ANI said, “PM Modi's thoughts and heart are as pure as the Ganga river and will remain so.”

The Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday said that Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Modi had a decade-long friendship and that the central government was “bending rules” to favour his conglomerate. Gandhi also alleged that GVK was forced to give Mumbai airport to the Adani Group.

The Union Minister on Wednesday, referring to Rahul Gandhi’s allegation, said GVK transferred the airport to Adani keeping commercial interest in mind. Rijiju also responded to the charge that PM Modi flew in Gautam Adani's chartered plane and said Rahul Gandhi also flew in GMR Group's plane and the Delhi airport was given to GMR during the UPA government. "We did not object to this," Rijiju said. Taking a dig at Gandhi, the minister further said both BJP and Congress are political parties and they both hire planes for political campaigns. There should not be any controversy on this. 

Notably, Rahul Gandhi’s remarks drew a sharp response from the treasury benches, with Rijiju asking him not to level "wild allegations" and to furnish proof of his claims. Outside Parliament, BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad accused Gandhi of making baseless, shameless and reckless allegations.