The Telangana Congress administration has turned down a Rs 100 crore financing offer from the Adani Group for a skills university targeted at fostering industry-specific skills among youth. This comes amid a scandal over US authorities indicting entrepreneur Gautam Adani and seven others for allegedly paying bribes to Indian government officials in exchange for solar power contracts.
Chief Minister Revanth Reddy stated that the state government did not accept any funding or gifts for the Young India Skill University from any organization, including the Adani Group.
"The Telangana government has not accepted funding or donations for the Young India Skill University from any organisation, including Adani. Yesterday, the government informed Adani Group that it will not accept the Rs 100 crore offered by them for the skill university," Reddy said.
"Rahul Gandhi has stated unequivocally that the state or national governments must issue tenders. Tenders would be given in a good systematic and democratic manner, whether they are Adani, Ambani, or Tata," he stressed.
The Chief Minister stated that numerous companies had contributed to the Young India Skill University.
Many companies have contributed to the Young India Skill University. In the same way, the Adani Group offered us Rs100 crore. I would like to repeat the state government's stance that it will not take the Rs 100 crore from Adani Group," he said.
On October 18, Gautam Adani handed over a Rs 100 crore cash to Reddy for the foundation of the Young India Skills University.
"A delegation from Adani Foundation, led by Chairperson of Adani Group, Gautam Adani, met with Chief Minister Revanth Reddy to hand over a donation cheque of Rs 100 crore towards the establishment of Young India Skills University," the Telangana Chief Minister's Office wrote on X.
The donation drew severe criticism from rival parties, with the BJP and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) accusing the Congress of "double-talking" against Adani.
Taking a shot at the Congress, BJP's IT cell chief Amit Malviya stated, "Despite Rahul Gandhi yelling 'Adani Adani' all day, Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy goes ahead and takes a 'gift' from Gautam Adani. It must be dreadful to be treated as a doormat by your own Chief Ministers."
BRS working president KT Rama Rao (KTR) expressed similar remarks, accusing the Congress of inconsistency. "On one side, Rahul Gandhi and the Congress refer to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Adani as 'Modani' and condemn their friendship. But what we see in Telangana is Revanth and Adani 'Revdani', or Rahul Gandhi and Adani 'Ragadani'," KTR stated.
.jpg "Telangana Dismisses Adani Group Rs 100 Cr Funding Amid Bribery Allegations")
