Jayalalithaa signed agreement with Adani Group, says DMK spokesperson

Amid the chaos over a United States (US) court charging Gautam Adani with allegations of "bribery and fraud," Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) spokesperson Saravana Annadurai on Friday claimed that corruption in Tamil Nadu started when former Chief Minister Jayalalithaa signed a power agreement with the Adani Group directly.

Minister Senthil Balaji has clarified that the Tamil Nadu Electricity Department has never entered into any kind of power purchase agreement or a power sale agreement with Adani Group, the DMK spokesperson added.

"Let us not forget that it was Jayalalithaa, the then-CM, who met with Adani and entered into an agreement for 25 years to purchase one unit of electricity for Rs 7.05. So, the corruption started when Jayalalithaa signed a power agreement with the Adani Group directly. Senthil Balaji (Tamil Nadu Electricity Minister) has clarified that we have had no track with the Adani group as the Tamil Nadu Electricity Department has never entered into any kind of power purchase agreement or a power sale agreement with the Adani Group directly," Annadurai said.

The DMK spokesperson further informed that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) and the Tamil Nadu government happened in 2020 when the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK) was in power.

"They said that the MoU/agreement/power purchase agreement/power sale agreement between SECI (Solar Energy Corporation of India Limited), which is the BJP Government's creation, and the Tamil Nadu Government first took place on 19.05.2020 when the AIADMK Government was in power. When we came to power, we decreased the price from Rs 2.81 to Rs 2.61," Annadurai added.

Accusing SECI of acting as a "broker," the DMK spokesperson said that the solar company was the creation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its officials must be investigated.

"It is the SECI which is mandated by the BJP government, creation of the BJP government which has acted as a broker for the Adani group. The officials of the SECI should be investigated and then only will we come to know the truth," he said.

Meanwhile, Yuvajana Sramika Rythu (YSR) Congress Party or YSRCP on Friday clarified that there was no direct agreement between Andhra Pradesh (AP) distribution companies (DISCOMs) and Adani group.

"It is necessary to mention that SECI is a Government of India enterprise. There is no direct agreement between AP DISCOMs and any other entities including those belonging to the Adani group. Therefore, the allegations made on the State Government, in the light of the indictment are incorrect," YSR Congress Party said in a statement on Thursday.

The Adani Group has denied the allegations made by the US Department of Justice and the US Securities and Exchange Commission against directors of Adani Green. While the BJP said the law will take its course and slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi.