NEW DELHI: Despite divergent voices emerging from within the opposition ranks on the issue, Congress on Sunday doubled down its attack on Modi government’s alleged links with embattled conglomerate Gautam Adani and asked why security concerns were set aside and the business house allowed to operate ports in India despite its well-known links with the Chinese.
Citing an Economic Times reports from June 2022, Congress’s Jairam Ramesh said the government had acted against its own policy to prevent Chinese firms and entities with China connections from operating ports and terminals in India on security grounds. “Why is it (Adani Group) being permitted to buy up port after port, in some cases after raids on previous owners, with no thought to the serious security implications?” he questioned.
The Economic Times report has said security clearance was denied to a consortium of APM Terminals Management and Taiwan’s Wan Hai Lines after agencies discovered a tie between a Wan Hai director and a Chinese firm. This blocked the consortium’s bid to operate a container handling terminal at Jawaharlal Nehru Port Authority.
Drawing parallels with the prevailing situation, Ramesh pointed to Chinese national Chang Chung-Ling’s close association with the Adani Group. Chang’s son, Ramesh said, owns PMC projects, a firm that has constructed ports, terminals, rail lines, power lines and other infrastructure assets for the Adani Group.
“The Adani Group and PMC were alleged to be involved in a 5,500-crore power equipment over-invoicing scam by the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence,” he said, adding that the Adani Group has been known to have operated at least two Shanghai-based shipping companies, one of which was involved in the “illegal sale of petroleum products to the close China ally, North Korea”.