Highlights
- Gehlot's statement has come after BJP mocked Congress govt for lavishing praise on industrialist
- Adani, Ambani or Amit Shah's son Jay Shah, he will welcome all for generating employment, CM said
- Rajasthan BJP president Satish Poonia, Deputy LoP, & party MLA Vasudev Devnani targeted Gehlot govt
Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot has said that be it Adani, Ambani or Amit Shah's son Jay Shah, he will welcome all for generating employment and investment in the state.
Gehlot's statement has come after BJP mocked the Congress government for lavishing praise on industrialist Gautam Adani during the Invest Rajasthan summit.
Adani, chairman of the Adani Group and currently the richest Asian, was seated next to Gehlot at 'Invest Rajasthan', an event organised by the Congress-run state to attract investment.
Taking a dig at the Congress, BJP state president Satish Poonia shared a 47-second clip showing Rahul Gandhi attacking Adani and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in Parliament.
He said while Rahul Gandhi accuses the Centre of favouring Adani and Ambani, the chief minister of Rajasthan favours the two business tycoons.
"Kal tak jo tha virodi, aaj bana manmeet, dhan ki jagi ummeed to badli apni reet," (the one who was being opposed until yesterday has come close today, with hopes of cash inflow, they changed their view).
BJP MLA and former minister Vasudev Devnani shared a picture of Gehlot seated with Adani at the summit, saying it was a "tight slap" on the face of the Congress high command.
The industrialist Rahul Gandhi often picks to allege that Prime Minister Narendra Modi helps only big businessmen.
Condemning the BJP for mocking the Congress, Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said it was not a private programme and 3,000 delegates attended it.
Be it Adani or Union Home Minister Amit Shah's son Jay Shah, Rajasthan will welcome all because it wants investment and employment, Gehlot said.
"It is not a private event, it is an investors' summit. Are 3,000 delegates (who attended the summit) of the Congress?" Gehlot asked, asserting their ideologies could be that of the Congress or the BJP.
"In such a situation, why do they want to create a hurdle? I condemn these people. They talked about Gautam Adani yesterday (Friday). Be it Gautam Adani or any Adani, or Ambani or Amit Shah's son Jay Shah, we will welcome all of them here. We want employment, we want investment," the chief minister said.
It was not clear why Gehlot clubbed Jay Shah's name with those of industrialists Ambani and Adani as the Union home minister's son is not known to have any major business interest.
The industrialist announced plans to invest Rs 65,000 crore in Rajasthan over the next five to seven years, including the setting up of a 10,000-MW solar power facility, expansion of a cement plant, and upgradation of the Jaipur International Airport.
In his speech at the inaugural ceremony, Gehlot addressed the business tycoon as "Gautam bhai" and congratulated him for becoming the world's second richest person.
Even as Gehlot showered praise on Adani, Rahul Gandhi continued to make allegations on Twitter.
Without taking any names, the Congress leader alleged that several crores rupees in loans of "capitalist friends" were waived off while others were living in debt.
(With inputs from PTI)
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