Rahul got 'tempo loads' of money from Ambani-Adani, says Modi; 'dost dost na raha' says Kharge

For the first time during the ongoing Lok Sabha election campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday accused the Congress of having a nexus with "Ambani and Adani", and asked if the party has received "tempo loads of black money" from the two businessmen for its MP Rahul Gandhi to "stop abusing" them.

In what appeared to be an attempt to change the narrative on an issue that was until now used by the Congress to attack the Modi government, the PM also demanded that the party explain to people why it has stopped raising the 'Ambani-Adani' issue as its shehzada (prince, a reference to the Gandhi family) used to do for the past five years, and asked if it has struck a sauda (deal).

"Since his Rafale issue got grounded, he started chanting about 'five industrialists'. Then he started saying Ambani-Adani. But ever since elections have been announced, these people (Congress) have stopped abusing Ambani-Adani. 

The Congress has been accusing PM Modi of favouring the top five industrialists in the country, including Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani.

"I want to ask from Telangana soil, let the shehzada announce, how much has been lifted from Ambani-Adani? Have tempo-loads of money reached the Congress? What deal has been arrived at, that abusing Ambani-Adani has stopped overnight?" Modi asked, addressing an election rally at Vemulawada in Telangana.

"Something is certainly fishy. For five years, (they) abused Adani-Ambani and it stopped overnight. It means you have received some tempo loads of chori ka maal (stolen goods)...Kaale dhan ki kitni boriya bharkar ke rupaye maare hai (how many sacks of black money have you taken)? You have to answer the nation," the prime minister said.

The Congress launched a fierce counterattack against Modi for his Adani-Ambani jibe, with Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra charging that the BJP has a nexus with industrialists and the entire BJP machinery is engaged in "spreading lies" about Rahul Gandhi.

Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge claimed Modi's chair is "shaking" after three phases of the Lok Sabha polls as he has begun attacking his own "friends", and this shows the "real trend" of the poll results.

"The times are changing. Dost dost na raha (friends are no longer friends)…! After the completion of three phases of elections, today the Prime Minister has started attacking his own friends. It is becoming clear that Modiji's chair is shaking. This is the real trend of the results," Kharge said in a post in Hindi on X.

Congress MP and general-secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh claimed that the tide of this election has turned so "violently" that the "pappa" of "hum do hamare do" is turning on his own children. "Defeat is a foregone conclusion. The Prime Minister is now spooked even by his own shadow," he said in a video post on X.

The Congress leader also said: "The man who collected Rs 8,200 crore of Electoral Bonds for his party — a scam so egregious that even the Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional — is today levelling allegations on others.

"Remember that through his 'chaar raaste', the Prime Minister has given contracts and licenses worth Rs 4 lakh crore to his cronies in return for their donations. If today, 21 Indian billionaires have as much wealth as 70 crore Indians, it is all thanks to the PM’s intentions and policies. It also goes without saying that 'hamare do' are key figures in those 21," Ramesh alleged and said since 28 January 2023, the Congress has repeatedly demanded the formation of a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to investigate the "Modani scam".

"We reiterated this demand even after the elections began — on April 23, 2024, and just five days ago, on May 3, 2024. Since April 3, 2024, Rahul Gandhi has mentioned Adani 103 times and Ambani more than 30 times in his speeches. A JPC will be formed as soon as the INDIA bloc comes to power on June 4, 2024, to investigate the Modani Scam — which has an estimated price tag of at least Rs. 2 lakh crores," the Congress leader said.

Priyanka Gandhi also said the prime minister knows that people now understand the reality that he has handed over all wealth to big businessmen and he is clarifying matters as he is nervous.

"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 loans worth Rs 16 lakh crore given to 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 Rae Bareli.

Fellow party leader Pawan Khera said PM Modi is disturbed after three phases of elections and realises that the ground is shaking. He claimed the prime minister has collected Rs 8,200 crore from his "friends" and when he was losing the polls, he has turned against them. "When you cannot be theirs, how can you be ours or anyone else's in the country?" he asked, adding that the Congress does not fear anyone or anything.

Congress leader Supriya Shrinate said the prime minister is making serious allegations of corruption against the two big industrialists, and asked when would a CBI, ED or Income Tax raid happen against them.