After Bharat Jodo Yatra, Congress mulling east-to-west padyatra

Shubhadeep Choudhury

Raipur, February 26

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Sunday likened the Adani Group to the East India Company and said the party would keep raising questions about the business conglomerate’s practices till the truth was out.

He also said the party should formulate a new plan to carry forward the “tapasya” undertaken through the Bharat Jodo Yatra, indicating another such initiative. Congress leaders privately said another yatra from east to west (probably Pasighat to Porbandar) was proposed.

Launching a strong attack on the government on the Adani issue, he alleged that the industrialist was working against the country by cornering its entire wealth.

Addressing the 85th plenary session of the Congress here, Rahul said, “When we asked in Parliament what was the PM’s connection with Adani, our entire speech was expunged. We will ask in Parliament thousands of times until the truth of Adaniji is out, we will not stop.”

“I want to tell Adani that his company is hurting the country and is snatching the entire infrastructure of country,” the former Congress president said.

“The battle for the country’s freedom was against one company as it had taken away all wealth and ports, etc,” he said, referring to the East India Company.

“History is being repeated. This is work against the country and if that happens the entire Congress party will stand against it,” he said.

The former party president also questioned External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recent remarks on the Chinese economy being big vis-a-vis India’s and said the minister’s remarks mirrored “cowardice, not nationalism, and were in line with VD Savarkar’s policy of bowing before the strong”.

Hammering the Adani issue, Rahul Gandhi alleged that the group, which also had interests in defence-related industry, operated various shell companies and sent “thousands of crores to India” through these.

“Why is an investigation not being carried out on this?” Rahul Gandhi asked, saying it’s a matter related to the national security.