Chennai, Dec 10 (UNI) Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Tuesday categorically stated that Industrialist Gautam Adani did not met him and that he had never met him (Adani).
Mr Stalin, who had already clarified on this issue on a couple of occasions, reiterated it in the State Assembly, when PMK Floor leader G K Mani raised the indictment of Adani Group by a US Court which also has a mention about Tamil Nadu.
Intervening, Mr Stalin said the PMK leaders had been repeatedly making open public statements that Adani had met him.
“Adani neither visited me nor I met him”, he added.
Putting at rest speculation about his reported meeting with Gautam Adani, the Chief Minister stoutly denied having ever met him, while reiterating the INDIA Bloc’s demand for a Joint-Parliamentary Probe (JPC) against the Adani Group and dared the PMK to support it and speak against its ally, the BJP in Parliament.
Reiterating that he had no connection whatsoever with Adani, he said a misinformation campaign is there. It is only the PMK and the BJP which are engaged in carrying out such a disinformation campaign that I met the industrialist,” he said.
“Adani did not meet me…I have never met him”, he said, adding, hope this clarification would suffice and sought a reply to his poser on whether the PMK was prepared for a JPC probe on the issue.
Citing the demand of Opposition INDIA bloc MPs for a JPC probe against Adani and a discussion in Parliament , Mr Stalin dared Mr Mani whether the PMK was ready to support it in Parliament.
“I am asking whether the PMK is ready to support and speak against the BJP, its ally, on the Opposition demand for a JPC probe against Adani in Parliament”, the Chief Minister said.
When Mr Mani said he was not dwelling deep into the issue, Mr Stalin said “even if you don’t, your party leaders are repeatedly speaking about it”.
Reiterating that Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister V Senthilbalaji had already clarified on the issue on more than two or three occasions, Mr Stalin said since “he is not present in the Assembly now, I am clarifying it…I did not meet him (Adani)”.
Responding to Mr Stalin’s poser, a reticent Mr Mani said the PMK would certainly support the demand for a JPC probe into the Adani row, before staging a walk out dissatisfied with the Chief Minister’s reply.
Later, talking to reporters outside the Assembly premises, Mr Mani he did not go deep into it as Mr Stalin said he had not met Adani.
But, Tamil Nadu’s name was mentioned in the indictment case against Adani in the US Court, he said and sought to know whether it was true or not. “The government should clarify on this”, he added.
