Washington, May 19 (IANS). Republican MP Lance Gooden accused the Joe Biden administration of running a politically motivated case against Adani Group. Also welcomed the $275 million agreement between Adani Enterprises and the US Treasury and called it a positive step for India-US relations.
Speaking to news agency IANS, the American MP said that we are very happy with this result. It was unfortunate that Gautam Adani had to go through all this.
The US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced on Monday that Adani Enterprises Ltd. has agreed to pay $275 million to settle potential civil liability over 32 alleged violations of Iran-related sanctions.
Gooden had earlier also written letters to both the Justice Department and Attorney General Pamela Bondi in the Biden administration, raising questions over the prosecution of the Adani Group.
Gooden said he had repeatedly raised concerns with senior Trump administration officials.
“We contacted the Biden Justice Department, but with no success,” he said.
He added, “This was one of the first issues I raised with the Justice Department during the Trump administration, and I know they are taking this seriously and making it a priority to do the right thing.”
The Texas lawmaker also credited Indian-American businessman Arun Agarwal for first bringing the issue to his attention.
Gooden told IANS that he was first informed about this matter by Arun Aggarwal, Chairman of the Texas Economic Development Corporation Board of Directors.
He said that there is a person in India who is the victim of political prosecution by our Democrat Justice Department.
Gooden told IANS that he believed the case threatened to discourage Indian investment in the US.
“I have believed from the beginning that it was right to encourage Adani to invest in the United States and continue the good work his company and his family are doing across India,” he said.
Gooden had earlier also accused Adani of having political motives behind the prosecution. “I believe the people at the Justice Department who pushed for this had ties to Soros,” he told IANS.
He argued that these allegations were made “right after President Trump was elected, as if to discourage investment in a country, so that President Trump could not fulfill one of his election promises, that is, the promise of making America great again.”
Asked about Adani Group’s future investments in the US, Gooden said Texas could benefit greatly from it.
“Yes, I’m confident they will invest in Texas and hopefully in other states,” he said. He added, “I think America, our workforce, our energy industry and many other industries, including the Adani Group, will all benefit from this.”
The Member of Parliament also strongly supported India-US relations and described India as “one of America’s few reliable partners in the Asia-Pacific region”.
He said, “I love India. I have been to India many times.” “I think the US and India should have a relationship as strong as any other country in the world,” he told IANS.
–IANS
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