New Delhi: Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s criticism of industrialist Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday was interrupted by a power outage, which he sarcastically blamed on “Adani power, Modi power.”

Hours later, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra responded, mocking Gandhi and suggesting that his colleague Jairam Ramesh might have intentionally cut the power to stop him.

During the press conference, Gandhi accused the Prime Minister of shielding Adani from prosecution, alleging, “Adani ji is involved in a Rs 2,000-crore scam but walks free because the PM protects him. Unless Adani is arrested and interrogated, no investigation will be credible. In the end, Narendra Modi’s name will come out because BJP’s entire funding structure is in his hands.”

In a rebuttal, Patra ridiculed Gandhi’s remarks, saying, “Rahul Gandhi keeps repeating the same three words—Adani, Ambani, chor. Today, his press conference had a power cut, and even for that, he blamed Adani and Modi. It’s his office, his electricity! I think Jairam Ramesh, who was sitting next to him, might have cut the power thinking, ‘Enough of Rahul Gandhi.’”

Patra also accused Gandhi of exploiting issues like Rafale, Covid vaccines, and now Adani, to disrupt proceedings ahead of Parliament sessions. “This is Rahul Gandhi’s usual tactic to attack India’s institutions,” he remarked.

About Adani bribery

The controversy comes amid allegations from US prosecutors that Gautam Adani, his nephew Sagar Adani, and others paid Rs 2,029 crore in bribes between 2020 and 2024 to secure solar power contracts.

This adds to the scrutiny surrounding the Adani Group, which has faced accusations of stock manipulation and fraud from Hindenburg Research—charges the group has consistently denied.

The Adani Group strongly refuted the latest allegations, calling them “baseless” and asserting adherence to the “highest standards of governance and compliance.”

In a statement, the group said, “As stated by the US Department of Justice, the charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. We are exploring all legal remedies to address the accusations.”