Fin Min Nirmala Sitharaman questions non-BJP states awarding ports and land to Adani

The opposition has often attacked the Modi government over its proximity with Gautam Adani, and has fired fresh salvos over the Hindenburg report. The Finance Minister of India, Nirmala Sitharaman has said that India's image remains intact despite the allegations of fraud against Adani without naming the conglomerate. Now she has questioned projects, land and ports awarded to the Adani Group in non-BJP ruled states.

Referring to the Kerala government's support for a port operated by Adani, and the group's Rs 60,000 crore investment in Rajasthan, Sitharaman hit out at land and ports being given by invitation. As she reiterated transparency of the Modi government's process to award tenders, the minister called allegations of favouritism baseless.

The Finance Minister also spoke about wealth creation in India, saying that they've been inviting entrepreneurs since 2014 to create wealth via legal methods. As for the response to the allegations against Adani, Sitharaman reiterated that regulators should act and act in time, mentioning how RBI has already given a statement.

Following the RBI's assertion that exposure of banks to the Adani Group is under manageable levels, the minister also highlighted a platform that allows regulators to track the banking system on a daily basis.