NCP Chief Sharad Pawar, Congress Differ On Hindenburg-Adani Issue

New Delhi: With NCP supremo Sharad Pawar stating that the Adani Group was seemingly targeted by the US-based short-seller Hindenburg Research, the Congress on Friday said its ally NCP may have its view but 19 like-minded Opposition parties are convinced that the charges against the conglomerate are real and very serious. The Congress also said all 20 like-minded Opposition parties, including the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), are united and will be together in saving the Constitution and democracy from the "BJP's assaults".

Sharad Pawar speaks on Adani row

In an interview with NDTV, Pawar came out in support of the Adani Group and criticised the narrative around Hindenburg Research's report on the conglomerate. "Such statements were given by other individuals earlier too and there was a ruckus in Parliament for a few days but this time out-of-proportion importance was given to the issue.

"The issues that were kept, who kept them, we had never heard of these people who gave the statement, what is the background. When they raise issues that cause a ruckus across the country, the cost is borne by the country's economy, we cannot disregard these things. It seems this was targeted," Pawar said. "An individual industrial group of the country was targeted, that is what it seems. If they have done anything wrong, there should be an inquiry," the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief said.

Congress reacts to Pawar's stand

Reacting to the remarks in a statement, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh the NCP may have its view but 19 like-minded Opposition parties are convinced that the "PM-linked Adani Group issue" is real and very serious. "But all 20 like-minded Opposition parties including NCP are united and will be together in saving the Constitution & our democracy from the BJP's assaults and in defeating the BJP's divisive and destructive political, social, and economic agenda," Ramesh said.

Pawar's remarks striking a discordant note with other allies come at a time when it seemed that the unity among the Opposition parties has strengthened following Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from Lok Sabha after he was convicted for two years in a 2019 defamation case by a Surat court. Several Opposition parties, led by the Congress, protested through the second half of the budget session of Parliament demanding a joint parliamentary committee (JPC) probe into the Adani issue.

Congress and Adani row

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has also been aggressively targeting the government over the Adani issue. Earlier, there had been a difference of opinion between the Congress and the TMC over the Adani issue with the grand old party demanding a JPC probe and the Mamata Banerjee-led outfit calling for a Supreme Court-monitored probe. The Congress, NCP, and the Shiv Sena led by Uddhav Thackeray are in an alliance in Maharashtra called the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

The Hindenburg Research has made a litany of allegations, including fraudulent transactions and share-price manipulation, against the Adani Group. The Gautam Adani-led group has dismissed the charges as lies, saying it complies with all laws and disclosure requirements.