NEW DELHI: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman hit out at the Congress today, wondering why ousted Wayanad Parliament member Rahul Gandhi had not flagged ‘undue favour’ given to Adani by the Kerala government. "If there is any crony capitalism going on, it's in Congress-led governments, and Rahul Gandhi won't say anything about it, "said the Finance Minister.

Referring to Gandhi as a "serial offender" the FM also criticised the Congress that it harshly making "baseless claims" regarding the Adani case against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Adani was given the Vizhinjam Port on a silver platter by the then Congress-led government in Kerala. There was no tender used to award it. Today, the CPM government is in power rather than the current administration (Congress). But what prevented him from requesting and insisting that Kerala revoke that directive?" said Sitharaman.

She went on to say that Adani had been handed the "entire solar power project" in Rajasthan. Why doesn't Rahul Gandhi revoke that?" Asked Sitharaman.

In 2013 when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was abroad, Rahul Gandhi called one ordinance nonsense and threw it in the dustbin. Similarly looking at this angle, what stops Rahul Gandhi from cancelling that order in Rajasthan?" she said.

The Adani-Hindenburg controversy has continued to be a point of contention between the Congress and the Narendra Modi-led administration. On Thursday, a number of opposition lawmakers carried the tricolour as they marched from Parliament to Vijay Chowk, accusing the Modi administration of scuttling the second half of the budget debate.

Members of 19 parties held a press meet, resolving to boost Opposition unity as they doubled down on calls for a JPC probe into the Adani issue. This included the Trinamool Congress, BRS, the AAP and the Samajwadi Party - parties that have thus far been reluctant to share the stage or join hands with the Congress.

"I don't want to expose and eliminate Congress completely...

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