Rahul meets ‘undesirable businessmen’, claims Azad; Congress hits back

Congress has described Ghulam Nabi Azad’s comments against Rahul Gandhi as “desperate bid to remain relevant”.

New Delhi | Updated: 10 April, 2023 5:33 pm IST

Ghulam Nabi Azad and Rahul Gandhi were pictured deeply immersed in a conversation before the former exited Congress.

Former Congress leader and Union Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad has made shocking claims alleging that Rahul Gandhi meets “undesirable businessmen” during his trips abroad. Azad’s comments came in response to Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that leaders who recently left the Congress, including Azad, have ties with the Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani.

Azad, who has also served as the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, said that the entire Gandhi family, including Rahul, has associations with businessmen. “The entire family has associations with businessmen, including him [Rahul]. I can give 10 examples of where he would go, even outside the country, to meet people who are undesirable businessmen,” Azad alleged.

Responding to Rahul’s tweet, Azad denied any association with any businessman and called it a shame. “It is a shame. Rahul Gandhi is saying. I never had any association with any businessman. Whereas the entire family [Gandhi] is associated with businessmen, including him,” he added.

Rahul had tweeted in Hindi, “They hide the truth, that’s why they mislead everyday! The question remains the same- who has Rs 20,000 crore benami money in Adani’s companies?” Apart from Azad, he also named former Congress leaders Anil Antony, Himanta Biswa Sarma, Jyotiraditya Scindia and Kiran Kumar Reddy in the tweet.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who left Congress alleging difficulties in access to the Gandhi family, also took a shot at Rahul in response to his tweet, accusing him of concealing the proceeds of crime from the Bofors and National Herald scams and allowing Ottavio Quattrochi to escape Indian justice multiple times.

A furious Congress hit back at Azad for targeting Rahul and described the Kashmir leader’s comments as “desperate bid to remain relevant”.

“With every passing day, Ghulam Nabi Azad falls to new depths to demonstrate his true character and his loyalty to Mr. Modi. His contemptible statements on the Congress leadership reflect his desperation to remain relevant. I can only say that he is PATHETIC,” Congress general secretary in-charge communications, Jairam Ramesh tweeted.