Appoint special counsel in Adani case, Congress tells Modi
New Delhi, Sep 17 : Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his "industrialist friend" Gautam Adani, the Congress on Monday asked the Centre to strongly contest the Adani group's plea in the Bombay High Court regarding an alleged Rs 29,000-crore scam of over-valuing coal imports.
The Congress, which has been seeking a Special Investigation Team (SIT) probe into the scam, demanded that the Modi government appoint a special counsel as the High Court is slated to hear on Wednesday a plea to seek quashing of all Letters Rogatory (LRs) issued by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence against the group.
Accusing the Centre of extending "undue favours" to the Adani group, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh claimed that the DRI's request to the Central government for appointing a special counsel was being neglected.
"The Modi government keeps on asserting about its clean intentions. So, it should display that intention by accepting the DRI's request to field a special counsel to assert that the LRs are imperative to probe the group's complicity in the coal import scam," Ramesh told the media here.
The DRI had alleged that 40 companies, including those from the Adani group, had inflated price of coal imported from Indonesia so as to siphon money abroad and avail of higher power tariff compensation.
The group moved the High Court in August after a Singapore court rejected its plea for a stay to produce documents pertaining to coal imports.
Ramesh claimed that the Modi government's motto is "privatisation of profits and nationalisation of losses", adding that probe into the group's financial irregularities had been stalled by the Centre.
"Modi's much touted slogan of ‘minimum government, maximum governance' has now given way to privatisation of profits and nationalisation of losses wherein companies are allowed to make profits and recover their loses at the cost of public exchequer and the common people.
"Almost 80 per cent of India's coal imports is done by the Adani group. The DRI has indicted the group in the scam, yet the government is not showing any inclination to secure the documents that are imperative for probing this scam. There can be no bigger example of crony capitalism," said Ramesh.
He accused the BJP government in Gujarat of "working on the directions of the Modi regime to provide relief" to power companies owned by Adani, Tatas and Essar.
"Despite the Supreme Court ruling against the power companies demand to increase tariffs agreed upon in power purchase agreements (PPA), a state government appointed committee has recommended revision in the tariff structure.
"Because of this relief by the Gujarat government, the Adani, Tata and Essar groups will reap profit of Rs 1,30,000 crore in 30 years. The burden of this huge profit will be put on banks and consumers. This is nothing but privatisation of profits and nationalisation of losses," added Ramesh.
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EAM Jaishankar meets Jamaican PM, gifts over 10 BHISHM Cubes
Kingston (PTI): External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday met Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness and discussed ways to further deepen "political, economic and people-to-people cooperation."
Jaishankar also conveyed greetings from Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Holness.
"Pleased to call on Prime Minister @AndrewHolnessJM in Kingston. Conveyed the greetings of PM @narendramodi," Jaishankar posted on X.
"Discussed deepening our political, economic and people-to-people cooperation. Value his commitment towards further strengthening India-Jamaica relations," the post further read.
Also, the external affairs minister handed over 10 BHISHM (Bharat Health Initiative for Sahyog Hita & Maitri) Cubes as a gift to Jamaica.
"Formally handed over 10 BHISHM Cubes as a gift from India to Jamaica, in the presence of PM @AndrewHolnessJM, Health Minister @christufton and FM @kaminajsmith," Jaishankar posted on X.
"The BHISHM Cube mobile hospital system, designed for rapid deployment, will help Jamaica during disasters and emergencies. The gift of these cubes is a statement of friendship, a commitment to disaster preparedness, and an outcome of innovation," the post said.
Jaishankar arrived in Kingston on Saturday evening, marking the first leg of his nine-day tour of Jamaica, Suriname, and Trinidad and Tobago, aimed at further strengthening India's strategic and cultural ties with the Caribbean nations.
Earlier in the day, he interacted with the Indian diaspora and discussed India's ongoing transformation in infrastructure, human development and technology-driven governance and entrepreneurship with them.
He also highlighted the cricket bond between both countries as India gifted a scoreboard to Jamaica.
A scoreboard was dedicated at Sabina Park in Kingston. It is the home of the Jamaica cricket team and is the only Test cricket ground in the Caribbean island nation.
The minister expressed hope that the new scoreboard would witness many memorable innings, including those symbolising the enduring friendship between the two countries.
Cricket has long been a strong cultural bridge between India and Jamaica, which is part of the West Indies cricket team.
Jamaican players, including Chris Gayle, Courtney Walsh and Michael Holding, have played a major role in shaping the legacy of West Indies cricket in the international arena, contributing to its dominance in earlier decades and its continued global appeal.
