Raijor Dal Questions Assam's Involvement in Adani Bribery Scandal, Demands Investigation

Raijor Dal's Working President, Bhasco D. Saikia, held a press conference at the party's headquarters today, raising concerns over the Adani bribery scandal and related issues in Assam. 

The party expressed doubts about the state's involvement in the nationwide bribery scandal and raised questions about the state's power purchase agreements.

Raijor Dal questioned why Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) was purchasing solar power at higher rates compared to other sources.

The party had filed a Right to Information (RTI) request to obtain details of the solar power purchase agreement, but the Energy Department expressed its inability to release the information, citing privacy concerns. Raijor Dal accused the Energy Department of not disclosing the information under the direction of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.

The controversy dates back to 2022, when Gautam Adani visited Assam and met with the Chief Minister before the state finalized a power purchase agreement with the Indian Solar Energy Corporation and Azure Power.

According to US court documents, several states in India were involved in the Adani bribery scandal, and opposition parties suspect that Assam is one of them.

Raijor Dal raised the following questions:

•    Why did the Energy Department prevent the public disclosure of the power purchase agreement?
•    Why was information about the power purchase, made with public funds, not provided to the public?
•    How will the Chief Minister prove that the Adani bribery scandal did not occur in Assam?

Raijor Dal demanded a high-level investigation into the matter, particularly concerning the Chief Minister and the Energy Department.

Response to Smart Meter Installation and Political Comments

Raijor Dal also reacted to the information shared in Parliament regarding the installation of smart meters. Assam is leading the country in the installation of smart meters, which the party claims is being done under coercion. The party has expressed concerns about the imposition of smart meters on the public.

Regarding the recent unification between Raijor Dal and the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP), Lurinjyoti Gogoi's comment labelling Akhil Gogoi as a Marxist and claiming that the two parties could never unite was addressed by Raijor Dal.

The party expressed disappointment over Gogoi's statement, asserting that they are fully committed to unification, which is also supported by the people.

They clarified that Akhil Gogoi's belief in Marxism does not imply that Raijor Dal is a left-wing party. Raijor Dal’s goal is progressive nationalism, and the idea of unification is not centred around ideology but rather a shared vision for the future.

Raijor Dal emphasized that discussions for unity had taken place at their invitation, and if the Assam Jatiya Parishad held such an opinion, they questioned why multiple rounds of discussions had been held between the two parties.