BJP member Nishikant Dubey on Tuesday countered the allegations levelled by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in Lok Sabha against the Narendra Modi government, saying the Congress itself had favoured several industrial houses like the Tata, Birla and Ambani. Earlier, while participating in the debate on Motion of Thanks to the President’s Address, Gandhi had accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of helping and according favour to ‘industrialist friend’ Gautam Adani.

Recalling reports, Dubey said, “The Congress party had helped the Tata, Birla and Ambani.”

Even some industrialists, who owned large newspapers, were members of the Congress party, he said.

Adani got mines in Australia in 2010 when the Congress was in power at the Centre, he said, adding that the businessman also has good relations with Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

The BJP leader also wanted to know if the Congress-led UPA government had changed concessionaire agreements to help GMR group and GVK group to complete development of airports in New Delhi and Mumbai.

Amid objections raised by the Congress member to his speech, Dubey said he was ready to authenticate all documents and resign in case they were found incorrect.

On the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, the BJP member said it was the Congress which permitted Warren Anderson, the then head of Union Carbide, to flee the country. He further said that the relation of Ottavio Quattrocchi, an accused in the Bofors scam, with the Gandhi family is well known.

Taking a dig at the statement of Gandhi that ‘Rahul Gandhi is just in your minds, I have killed him…he is long gone’, Dubey wondered if the real Gandhi or his ghost spoke in the Lok Sabha.

Participating in the debate, NCP member Amol Ramsing Kolhe accused the Modi government of vitiating the social atmosphere by driving a wedge between Hindus and Muslims.

The country, he added, belongs to everyone whether they have voted for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or not.

Dimple Yadav of the Samajwadi Party said it was the duty of the government to respond to the issues raised by Hindenburg Research in its report on the Adani Group.

Rising food and fuel prices were hurting common people, she said, adding that poverty cannot be removed unless people were provided jobs.