In a scathing attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Congress has accused him of perpetrating the "biggest money heist" since the country's independence in 1947. This comes after PM Modi, earlier today took a direct swipe at Congress following a massive seizure of "black money" and gold ornaments from distilleries in Odisha.
The Income Tax department's raids yielded a staggering Rs 350 crore in cash and approximately 3kg of gold, sparking outrage and raising questions about potential political connections.
“In India, who needs 'Money Heist' fiction, when you have the Congress Party, whose heists are legendary for 70 years and counting!” Modi wrote on social media X while sharing a video posted by the Bharatiya Janata Party which showed stacks of currency notes recovered by the I-T Department and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
The BJP captioned the video “Congress presents the Money Heist!” while the series’ popular title song plays in the background.
In response to that, Congress General Secretary Jairam Ramesh, in a post on X, accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of attempting to distract attention away from the "latest twist" involving Chang Chung-Ling and the Adani Group, adding that it will not work.
Chang Chung-Ling, a Taiwan-based investor, is described as having long-time business ties with Adani Group. He has been alleged to have made considerable profits by buying and selling Adani stock through offshore funds, according to a report by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project.
“Dear @narendramodi, the nation wants you to explain the biggest ‘money heist’ since 1947,” he said.
Ramesh accused Adani of utilising the Enforcement Directorate, the Central Bureau of Investigation, and the Income Tax department to spend money in "gifted to him" enterprises.
“He (Gautam Adani) zooms from literally nowhere to the second richest man in the world. Who pays for this unprecedented growth? Janta via inflated electric bills!” Ramesh alleged in the post.
The Congress party has been directing its scrutiny towards the Adani Group, alleging favorable treatment under the BJP government. The party has persistently called for a joint parliamentary committee investigation into the accusations laid out by the US research group Hindenburg.
In response, the business conglomerate, Adani Group, has firmly refuted any allegations of misconduct or impropriety.
On Friday, PM Modi took a swipe at the Congress, sharing a news report detailing the Income Tax department's cash recoveries from multiple locations associated with a business group reportedly linked to Congress MP Dheeraj Sahu.
In his post, Modi urged the public to observe the stacks of currency notes recovered and juxtapose them with the statements of Congress leaders on integrity. He emphasized that every ill-gotten penny extracted from the people would be reclaimed, assuring the nation with the guarantee of his commitment.
"Countrymen should look at these piles of currency notes and then hear the addresses of its (Congress) leaders on honesty. Every penny looted from people will have to be returned. This is Modi's guarantee," Modi had posted from his official handle.