Mumbai: Industrialist Gautam Adani met NCP chief Sharad Pawar at the latter’s residence in Mumbai on Thursday, party sources said.
The meeting follows Pawar’s recent statement that he is not opposed to a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the charges made by Hindenburg Research against the Adani group, but a Supreme Court committee will be more useful and effective.
Hindenburg has alleged stock manipulation and accounting fraud in firms belonging to billionaire Adani leading to demands of a JPC probe into the allegations by the opposition led by the Congress.
Earlier, amid a strident opposition campaign demanding an investigation into the Adani Group by a Joint Parliamentary Committee, Pawar had surprised his fellow opposition leaders by favouring a probe into the dealings of the Gujarat-based business house by a Supreme Court-appointed panel.
Pawar came out in support of the Adani Group and criticised the narrative around Hindenburg Research’s report on the conglomerate, saying that he felt that the business group was “targeted” and that he was not aware of the antecedents of the US-based short-selling firm.
Pawar has charted a different course than the Congress on issues such as criticism of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar and the Adani Group.
However, a day later Pawar claimed that he was in favour of a Supreme Court-monitored investigation over a JPC report.
The senior leader also frowned at the manner in which the names of industrialists like Ambani-Adani were being tossed around to target the BJP government at the Centre instead of bigger issues like inflation, unemployment and farmers.
Clarifying his stance after the ruckus following his comments to a TV channel on Friday, Pawar said he was not opposed to the JPC probe, but if the Committee comprises 21 members, then 15 would be from the ruling side and the remaining six from the Opposition side.
In view of the imbalance, coupled with the government’s majority in both Houses of Parliament, the NCP supremo opined that the JPC report would only “endorse the government’s stand on the Adani issue”.
“I feel that instead of a JPC, a Supreme Court-appointed commission is more reliable and independent,” said Pawar, adding that he had no knowledge of the Rs 20,000 crore raised by Congress leader Rahul Gandhi.
Pawar’s friendship with Adani:
NCP chief Sharad Pawar may have broken ranks with other opposition parties on the Adani issue, but his friendship with Gautam Adani dates back to nearly two decades when the businessman was exploring expansion into the coal sector.
In his Marathi autobiography ‘Lok Maze Saangati ‘ published in 2015, Pawar has lavished praise on Adani describing him as “hard-working, simple, down to earth” and with ambition to make big in the infrastructure sector.
The veteran leader also wrote that it was at his insistence that Adani ventured into the thermal power sector.
Pawar recounts in the book how Adani built his corporate empire from scratch starting as a salesman in Mumbai locals, dabbling in small ventures before trying his luck in the diamond industry.
Pawar wrote that later Adani made his foray in the coal sector and it was at his suggestion that the businessman ventured into the thermal power sector.
In the book, Pawar recounts how he developed close ties with several businessmen as he sought to usher in development in Maharashtra during his decades-long political career.
The NCP chief said he remained in regular touch with business leaders who could meet him without appointment daily between 2 pm and 4 pm during his tenure as the chief minister.
Pawar recounted his arrangement with the then Gujarat chief minister Chimanbhai Patel, who would divert big projects to Maharashtra. Pawar said he reciprocated the gesture by sending some small projects to Gujarat, an arrangement that ensured the two states scaled greater heights on the economic front.
