Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin Tuesday, December 10, stated in the Assembly that neither him nor the representatives of the state government had met industrialist Gautam Adani, after the Tamil Nadu Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) ally Paatali Makkal Katchi (PMK) alleged that the state government had ties with the Adani Group, which was indicted in the US over bribery charges.
Stalin also challenged the PMK to support a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into corruption allegations against the Adani group- a demand which the union government had previously opposed.
“Neither has Adani met me nor have I met him. Do you need any more explanation on this?,” Stalin asked PMK chief Anbumani Ramadoss. After Stalin challenged PMK to support a JPC probe, members of PMK staged a walkout from the Assembly.
Anbumani Ramadoss, later, in a statement said that the PMK is ready to support a JPC probe into the allegations but asked the DMK chief if he would be willing to assent to a CBI investigation into the allegations of the Adani Group bribing the officials of Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO).
Anbumani said that TANGEDCO had, in 2021, signed an agreement to buy 1,000MW from the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) (which buys solar energy generated by the Adani group) at Rs 2.61/ unit. “But the power is being sold at a lower rate in the market,” he said. He also pointed out the purported meeting between the Adani group and the state government, where the Adani group reportedly bribed the state for signing a contract with them.
The News Minute, in its Powertrip newsletter dated July 9, 2024, had broken the story about the said meeting between Adani’s visit to Chennai. The story had indicated that the meeting might pertain to the Tangedco probe or potential plans by the Adani Group to increase investments in Tamil Nadu. However, even at the time, the Chief Minister’s office had denied that any such meeting took place.
The Tamil Nadu Minister for Electricity, Prohibition and Excise of Tamil Nadu, V Senthil Balaji had previously said that the agreement with SECI to purchase energy at Rs 2.61/unit was signed in 2021 for a period of 25 years. He had, however, denied allegations of bribery.
It may also be noted that the opposition parties in Tamil Nadu including the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), had been claiming that CM Stalin had met with Adani at his place of residence in Chennai since early 2024.