BJP Chief Annamalai Challenges Congress Over ‘Ambani-Adani’ Narrative

In Short

• K Annamalai says Congress has vilified industrialists
• Says in Congress’s mindset, industrialists make money illegally
• PM Modi accused Congress of striking deal with Ambani, Adani

In an exclusive interview, K Annamalai, the Tamil Nadu BJP president, criticized the Congress for demonizing industrialists, particularly using “Ambani-Adani” as a derogatory term.

Annamalai’s remarks follow Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s accusation that the Congress had struck a deal with these industrialists and ceased its criticism during the election season.

Speaking to India Today, Annamalai, a former IPS officer turned politician, pointed out the Congress’s consistent narrative against industrialists since 2019.

He emphasized that the Prime Minister’s intention was to prompt the Congress to disclose the extent of financial support it had received from the industrialists it had long criticized.

During his visit to Hyderabad to campaign for the BJP ahead of the Lok Sabha polls in Telangana, Annamalai highlighted the Congress’s perception that industrialists accumulate wealth unlawfully, with “Ambani-Adani” becoming a pejorative term within the party.

He challenged the Congress to reveal the amount of money it had accepted from these industrialists.

PM Modi’s remarks in Telangana questioned the sudden silence of the Congress regarding top industrialists and speculated whether the party had reached an agreement with “Ambani-Adani.”

He provocatively asked if the Congress had received “tempo loads of black money” from these figures.

This shift in narrative regarding the ‘Ambani-Adani’ issue, often used by the Congress to criticize the BJP government, has stirred controversy.

Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders have repeatedly accused the Modi government of favoring industrialists, including Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani.

In response to PM Modi’s allegations, Rahul Gandhi challenged him to initiate investigations by the CBI or ED into whether Adani and Ambani had funneled “black money” to the Congress party.

Gandhi’s remarks, delivered via a video message posted on X by the Congress, insinuated personal experience on PM Modi’s part with receiving money in a tempo, a loaded reference suggesting illicit dealings.