Only India Can Question Adani

INTERVIEW - ERIK SOLHEIM, former executive director, UN Environment Programme

- LAKSHMI SUBRAMANIAN

ON NOVEMBER 20, the US department of justice indicted Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani, and several of his associates, on charges of promising bribes to Indian government officialsin states such as Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu and hiding this promise from Adani Green Energy's US investors.

Days later, Erik Solheim, former executive director of the UN Environment Programme and an advocate of green energy, tweeted: "When will American overreach stop? Last week the global media was full of stories about an indictment against the Adani Group by an American prosecutor. It is time the world starts asking when American overreach will stop. Let's turn the table[s] for a second and assume that an Indian court charged top American business executives for crimes allegedly done in the US. Would this be acceptable to America?" Solheim's tweet was interesting as he is part of the Tamil Nadu government's climate council. In an exclusive interview with THE WEEK, Solheim clarifies his stand on the issue. Excerpts:

Q/You tweeted that the US authorities' indictment of Gautam Adani was an overreach. Why do you think so?