BJP’s Rajya Sabha MP Subramanian Swamy has hit out at the Narendra Modi government for its decision to privatise the country’s six major airports in favour of Gautam Adani-led Adani Group. The outspoken BJP leader wondered why the government had not appointed Adani the new ‘Minister of Civil Aviation.’
Swamy tweeted, “Why not allow Adani to become Minister of Civil Aviation instead?” The BJP was reacting to a news report quoting Civil Aviation Minister Hardeep Puri as saying that the NITI Aayog had raised no objections in completing the privatisation process of the country’s six airports in favour of the Adani Group.
Why not allow Adani to become Minister of Civil Aviation instead?
— Subramanian Swamy (@Swamy39) March 19, 2021
Speaking in parliament, reported BusinessToday, Puri said, “Therefore, the ministry of finance and NITI Aayog were part of the decision-making process, and the EGoS finalised the contours of the bidding process for PPP [public private partnership] of six airports.”
Adani Group’s Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) has secured the rights to run Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Lucknow, Guwahati, Thiruvananthapuram and Mangaluru airports for the next 50 years. The decision to hand over the rights to run the country’s six major airports to a known friend of Prime Minister Narendra Modi had triggered a massive controversy.
The Adani Group has also completed the acquisition of 23.5 percent stake in Mumbai International Airport Ltd.