Nadda's letter to Kharge full of falsehoods: Congress
New Delhi (PTI): The Congress on Friday hit back at BJP president J P Nadda over his allegation that the opposition party was pushing a politically motivated narrative on the issue of Manipur, saying his letter to Mallikarjun Kharge is a "4D exercise - denial, distortion, distraction, and defamation".
Nadda on Friday accused the Congress of pushing an "incorrect, false and politically" motivated narrative on the issue of Manipur unrest, as he hit back at Kharge for seeking President Droupadi Murmu's intervention and alleging the Centre's complete failure in defusing the crisis.
In a rejoinder to Kharge, Nadda claimed the repercussions of the Congress's "abject failure" in dealing with local issues in Manipur when it was in power are being felt even today.
Hitting back at Nadda, Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said, "Congress President Kharge ji wrote to the President of India on Manipur. Apparently to counter that letter, the BJP President has now written to the Congress President."
"Naddaji's letter is, not surprisingly, full of falsehoods and is a 4D exercise - denial, distortion, distraction, and defamation," he said in a post on X.
The people of Manipur are yearning for normalcy, peace, and harmony to return to the state at the earliest, Ramesh said.
"Towards this end they are asking four simple questions: When will the PM visit the state? How much longer will the CM continue to be inflicted on the state, when a majority of MLAs are not in his support? When will a full-time Governor for the state be appointed? When will the Union Home Minister take responsibility for his abject failures in Manipur?" Ramesh said.
In his letter, Nadda told Kharge what is shocking is how repeated attempts are being made by the Congress party to sensationalise the situation in Manipur, he told Kharge.
He said Kharge seemed to have forgotten that not only did his government legitimise the illegal migration of foreign militants to India, the then home minister P Chidambaram had signed treaties with them.
The Congress has been attacking the prime minister for not visiting Manipur, besides slamming the Centre for its handling of the situation in the ethnic strife-torn northeastern state.
More than 220 people have been killed and thousands rendered homeless in ethnic violence between Imphal Valley-based Meiteis and adjoining hills-based Kuki-Zo groups since May last year.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Take immediate action and arrest Gautam Adani: Congress chief Kharge to Modi govt
Bengaluru (PTI): Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge on Friday urged the Centre to immediately take action against billionaire industrialist Gautam Adani, following his indictment in the US in a bribery case.
Accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his government of shielding Adani, he said the Congress will raise the issue during the upcoming Parliament session and demand an inquiry into the charges.
"We will raise the issue in the Parliament and we will demand an inquiry. As he (Adani) is in India, action should be taken against him, he should be arrested. The government knows everything, so they should quickly take action against him in corruption cases," Kharge told reporters here.
Adani has been charged by US prosecutors for allegedly being part of an elaborate scheme to pay USD 265 million (about Rs 2,200 crore) bribe to Indian officials in exchange for favourable terms for solar power contracts.
Adani, India's second-richest man, and seven others, including his nephew Sagar, have been charged by the US Department of Justice with paying bribes to unidentified officials of state governments in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha to buy expensive solar power, potentially earning more than USD 2 billion in profit over 20 years.
Adani group has denied all charges and termed them as "baseless".
Noting that for five to six years, the Congress has repeatedly raised the issue, he said, "They (Adani and company) are involved in corruption cases. But Modi does not even utter anything against him."
"Home Minister Amit Shah has ED, CBI with him. Despite having all these agencies, why is no inquiry being done? Last time when we raised the issue following the Hindenburg report they were dismissive about it, saying it is foreign thing, it is false."
The Congress has been saying things against Adani, and will continue to say what it has to, the party chief said. "But from abroad too corruption allegations are coming, they (US) are clearly saying it. If the allegations are false, file a defamation case against them. You may accuse us (Congress) of making allegations politically, but everybody is saying it -- Hindenburg, America..."
Further, he said his party's concern is that India's assets are being "given" to Adani. Airports, ports, public sectors, land, energy sectors are being given to him (to operate).
"If he (Adani) does things in a legal manner, we have no objection. Government land is being taken, based on those assets loans worth thousands of crores are being taken from government banks. As he is doing all these things, we feel that the government is fully protecting and helping him, and through him they (BJP) are obtaining help or benefits for their party," he said.
In what seems to be comments directed at PM Modi, Kharge said, "Claiming to be just and clean in speeches is not enough, your conduct should also be clean..."
"Several investments are being taken to his state (Gujarat), instead of others. This will not lead to all India development or progress from Kanyakumari to Kashmir," the Congress veteran said, adding that "Making one person rich (hinting at Adani) will make small industries suffer. Other industrialists are also there. If you favour a person close to you so much, where will you encourage other industrialists?"
Kharge said going by the way things are being done "it seems they want to become quick crorepatis or billionaires, and want to be known among the richest in the world by creating fake records of assets."
"So, he (Adani) is doing it, and he is being encouraged by Modi and Shah," he alleged.
