In a decisive move, the Lokpal of India has dismissed a complaint against Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding accusations of black money involvement with top Indian industrialists. The complaint, which also named Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, was deemed baseless by the anti-corruption body.
The controversy stemmed from Modi’s campaign speech in Telangana’s Karimnagar on May 8, where he questioned whether the Congress was receiving “tempos of cash” from billionaires Gautam Adani and Mukesh Ambani. The Lokpal concluded that Modi’s remarks were typical election rhetoric intended to corner political opponents, rather than substantiated claims of corruption.
The full bench, led by Chairperson Justice (retired) AM Khanwilkar, along with retired Justices Ritu Raj Awasthi, L Narayana Swamy, Sanjay Yadav, and members Sushil Chandra, Pankaj Kumar, and Ajay Tirkey, found no credible evidence to support the allegations. They described the speech as speculative and dismissive of any real corruption accusations.
Emphasizing the lack of actionable intelligence or factual information in Modi’s speech, the Lokpal stated that the complaint was based on “far-fetched” assertions and did not warrant intervention. The order underlined that the allegations were founded on “unreal and unverifiable facts” and thus lacked merit.
This ruling underscores the Lokpal’s stance on election-related propaganda, clarifying that it does not equate to corruption without tangible evidence. The complaint against Gandhi and the industrialists was similarly dismissed, reinforcing the principle that credible evidence is crucial for any anti-corruption probe.
