Congress slams Narendra Modi for ‘endangering national security’ over Adani energy park

New Delhi: The Congress hit out at the Centre Wednesday, alleging that it has endangered national security to benefit private billionaires, over reports that border security rules were relaxed for a business group to set up an energy park.

Reacting to media reports that the government relaxed national security protocols along the Pakistan border to make way for a renewable energy park of the Adani Group in Gujarat, Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge said the pseudo-nationalism face of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has once again been unmasked.

The Adani Group did not respond to the allegations.

“Narendra Modiji, you have endangered national security at our borders in order to benefit private billionaires,” Kharge alleged in a post on X.

“Is it true that you have gifted precious strategic land, just 1 km near the International Border with Pakistan, to your ‘dear friend’ by relaxing border security rules?” he asked the prime minister.

“Is it not true that your government has relaxed such rules, not just at the India-Pakistan border, but also on the land adjoining Bangladesh, China, Myanmar and Nepal, thereby jeopardising our strategic and border security?” Kharge asked.

Recalling the prime minister’s statement on the Sino-India border dispute that “no one entered our territory” when 20 Indian soldiers made the supreme sacrifice fighting against China in Ladakh, the Congress chief alleged that the Army’s concerns have been ignored in this case.

“‘What happens if there is the need to lay mines, anti-tank and anti-personnel mechanisms to be put in place? What about the concept of space and surprise in offensive and defensive operations?’, a senior Army officer has asked. We repeat the same question,” Kharge said.

“Why would you allow a huge private project, within easy striking distance of the India-Pakistan border, thereby increasing the defence responsibilities of our armed forces and reducing their strategic advantages?” he asked.

Congress general secretary K C Venugopal said the prime minister and the defence minister must explain why such a drastic step to compromise national security was taken.

“Are we trying to make our energy system a sitting duck against our adversaries? Are military experts who have spent decades protecting our nation mere puppets who can be sidelined?

“The Modi government’s cronyism is a threat to our national security. Allowing India’s largest solar project to be constructed hardly 1 km away from the Pakistan border is extremely dangerous and goes against all established military norms,” Venugopal said in a post on X.

In a post on X in Hindi, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra asked, “Has the process of handing over all the resources of the country to the prime minister’s ‘friend’ reached such a point that even the border security rules are being changed?”

She alleged that according to news reports, India’s border security rules were changed for the Adani Group’s energy park.

Citing the reports, which claimed that apprehensions raised by senior Army officers about obstacles in border security and surveillance work are not being heard, Priyanka Gandhi said, “The security responsibilities of the Army are being made difficult and sensitive to give cheap land and business benefits to the prime minister’s friend.”

“Is one person’s business interest bigger than the question of national security?” she asked.

PTI