Introduction
Amidst the fervor of the 2024 Lok Sabha Elections, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, a prominent Congress party leader, found himself ensnared in controversy yet again. In an interview with The Red Mike, Chowdhury stirred the political pot by suggesting that he would refrain from criticizing industrial giants Adani and Ambani, if they were to offer substantial financial contributions. This statement, implying a potential quid pro quo arrangement, sparked swift condemnation from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which lambasted Chowdhury, alleging that his remarks unveiled the Congress party's true colors, depicting it as a practitioner of the 'hafta vasooli model' (Translation - Extortion model).
Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury in an interview was asked about the 'tempo-loads of money' reached the Congress from Adani, Ambani, as alleged by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (PTI)
Chowdhury's remarks emerged amidst a broader discourse surrounding the role of corporate entities in Indian politics. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently spotlighted Adani and Ambani during his election rallies, prompting scrutiny from opposition quarters, particularly Rahul Gandhi of the Congress. Gandhi, in response to Modi's assertions, questioned the Prime Minister's knowledge of financial transactions involving these industrialists, challenging why no investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had been initiated. This exchange further fueled the ongoing debate over the nexus between big business and political power in India's electoral landscape, with Gandhi's pointed query about how the Prime Minister could know if money arrived in a "tempo" adding a new dimension to the discussion.
What did Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury say?
In the interview, Adhir was asked where he kept the money that, according to PM Modi's allegations, reached the Congress leaders in tempos. "Where is the money? I am a BPL (below poverty line) person. I need money very much. I openly say that I am poor and I have no money for the election contest. Without money, it's becoming very difficult to fight elections nowadays. I don't even need a tempo, if Adani sends me a bag of money, that will be enough for me," Adhir said laughing.
"But you speak against them in Parliament?" the interviewer asked Adhir.
"Yes, I do because they don't send us money. If they send, people become silent," Adhir said.
"So you will become silent if you get money? This is what you are saying?" the interviewer asked.
Adhir nodded with a laugh and said, "First let them send".
"But there are ED and CBI," the interviewer said.
"Who is scared of ED? ED is idiot. It dances to the tune of PM Modi and then releases after the court intervenes. See, Kejriwal is also released," Adhir said.
PM Modi Called out Congress and Rahul Gandhi
Speaking at a rally in Karimnagar, Telangana, Modi questioned Gandhi's sudden silence on criticizing Ambani and Adani since the announcement of the Lok Sabha elections.
“You must have seen that the Congress’s shehzada [prince], for the past five years, had been chanting ‘five businessmen, five businessmen’…Ever since his Rafale issue got grounded, he started a new chant,” PM Modi said, referring to the poll-time controversy five years ago over the delivery of Rafale fighter jets from France.
“Then he started saying Ambani-Adani, Ambani-Adani. But ever since elections have been announced, he has stopped abusing Ambani-Adani. I want to ask from the land of Telangana today: how much has the shehzada taken from Ambani-Adani this election? How many bags of black money has he got? Has a tempo filled with notes reached the Congress? What deal has been made that you have stopped abusing Ambani-Adani overnight? For five years, you abused Ambani-Adani, and [now you] stopped overnight. That means you have got something. You will have to answer to the people of the country on this,” he said without naming Gandhi.
Attacking the Congress party over corruption, PM Modi also said: “The only glue that binds Congress and BRS [Bharat Rashtra Samithi] together is corruption. Appeasement politics is their agenda. Congress and BRS follow the ‘zero governance model’. Therefore, we need to save Telangana from the corrupt clutches of these parties.”
Adhir Ranjan’s Clarification
Adhir Ranjan quickly clarified his remarks, saying that the BJP doesn't understand jokes.
"People were saying that Adani-Ambani had given us a lot of money. I said I don't know," the Congress leader said.
"Everyone knows the stand of Congress on Adani-Ambani. Rahul Gandhi first gave the slogan of 'hum do, hamare do' (Translation - We two, Our two)... If someone speaks jokingly, they (BJP) try to twist it, Adhir Ranjan said.
Congress’ Reaction
Rahul Gandhi
“The money that PM Modi has given to the two businessmen, the Congress party will give the same amount of money to the people of India through the various schemes that the party has promised,” Gandhi said.
“The country knows who is the driver and helper of the BJP’s tempo of corruption,” he said in a post in Hindi on X.
“Modi ji, are you a little scared? Normally you talk about Adani and Ambani in closed doors, but for the first time you have talked about Adani and Ambani in public,” Gandhi said in the video message.
“You also know that they give money in a tempo. Is it your personal experience?” Gandhi said.
“Do one thing – send the CBI, ED to them and carry out a thorough investigation and don’t be scared,” he added.
Priyanka Gandhi Vadra
Referring to the prime minister’s remarks at a rally in Telangana that the Congress should explain to people why it has stopped raising the ‘Ambani-Adani’ issue as its ‘Shehzada’ used to do for the past five years, Priyanka Gandhi said, “Today he (Modi) is saying Rahul does not take the name of Adani, Ambani….He does so every day. He brings their truth in front of you every day”.
“We say every day that they (BJP) have a nexus with industrialists. You must understand that Prime Minister Modi has waived off Rs 16 lakh crore of big billionaires. Whose money is this? This is not Modi ji’s money. That is the country’s money,” she said at public meetings in Raebareli while campaigning for her brother Rahul Gandhi from the family bastion.
Mallikarjun Kharge
After PM Modi hit back at the Congress through the Adani-Ambani jibe, Congress party chief Mallikarjun Kharge hit back by saying that "Modi ji's chair is shaking" and he has "started attacking his own friends".
Conclusion
Hence, Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury's recent statement, suggesting that the party would cease its criticism of business tycoons Ambani and Adani if they were to provide monetary contributions, has sparked widespread condemnation and raised questions about the party's ethical standards. The remark, which implies a quid pro quo arrangement, has drawn attention to what critics perceive as a deeply entrenched culture of corruption within the Congress party. Chowdhury's assertion not only highlights a troubling mindset but also evokes memories of past allegations of corruption and extortion during the party's tenure in power.
The statement underscores a broader narrative of distrust and disillusionment with the Congress party, as it struggles to reconcile its historical legacy of corruption with the demands of a changing political landscape. Despite facing electoral setbacks attributed to public outrage over corruption scandals, the party appears to remain mired in a state of denial, clinging to outdated practices that have alienated voters.
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