"Baseless": Ex-Odisha Energy Minister denies BJD govt's link to alleged Adani bribery case

Khordha (Odisha) [India], November 22 (ANI): Odisha's Former Energy and Industry Minister and BJD MLA Pratap Keshari Deb on Friday dismissed allegations linking Former Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's government to the alleged bribery case against Gautam Adani as baseless.
"Allegations levelled against the previous BJD government as far as energy distribution and purchase is concerned... is baseless because we do not have any such direct agreement of power purchase with the Adani group," he told ANI.
Earlier, on November 21, opposition parties pressed for a JPC probe into the alleged bribery allegations on the Adani group company and also attacked the Modi government over the issue.
The BJP responded by saying that the law will take its course and slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for his attacks on the BJP-led government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
US prosecutors have indicted Gautam Adani and seven others for allegedly bribing Indian government officials to secure solar power contracts. Prosecutors claim the Adani Group paid millions of dollars in bribes, with a significant portion directed at officials in Andhra Pradesh (under Jagan Reddy's YSR Congress), Odisha (ruled by Naveen Patnaik's BJD), Tamil Nadu (under DMK), Chhattisgarh (under Congress), and Jammu and Kashmir (under central rule).
On Thursday, the Adani Group strongly refuted bribery allegations made by the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission against directors of the Adani Green terming them baseless.
Adani Group spokesperson, in an official statement, said all legal recourse will be taken. "The US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission against directors of Adani Green are baseless and denied," the statement read.
The group further highlighted a key aspect of the legal proceedings. "As stated by the US Department of Justice itself, 'The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.' All possible legal recourse will be sought," the statement said. (ANI)