Amid Opposition parties, including the Sharad Pawar-led Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe in the Adani-Hindenburg row, industrialist Gautam Adani met the veteran leader at the latter’s residence in Mumbai on Thursday, reported PTI.
The meeting which was held at Pawar’s Silver Oak residence was reportedly held for at least two hours.
Breaking ranks with the national Opposition and thereby revealing fault-lines in his alliance with the Congress in Maharashtra, Pawar, in an interview to Adani-owned NDTV, on April 8, said that he believes the Adani Group is being “targeted” by unknown entities whose motives he questioned.
The politician distanced himself from the Congress’ demand of a JPC probe, and added that he did not agree with stalling of the Budget Session proceedings in the Parliament by the Congress-led Opposition on the matter.
The NCP supremo also favoured a Supreme Court committee to probe allegations against the Adani group since the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) would have a majority in the JPC based on numerical strength in Parliament, adding that doubts will be raised on such a probe.
The Supreme Court had last month ordered the setting up of a six-member committee headed by a former apex court judge to look into the Adani-Hindenburg issue.
The Hindenburg report by US-based short-seller firm Hindenburg Research that was published on January 24 alleged that the Adani conglomerate was involved in “brazen stock manipulation and accounting fraud”, among other allegations. The report led to a sharp decline in the share price and market capitalisation of the ports-to-media conglomerate.