Gautam Adani meets Sharad Pawar amid Oppn's demand for JPC probe into Hindenburg-Adani row

In an interesting development, business tycoon and Adani Group Chairperson Gautam Adani met NCP supremo Sharad Pawar, one of India’s seniormost politicians, in Mumbai on Thursday.

Adani drove to Pawar’s bungalow Silver Oak in the Breach Candy area of Mumbai and the duo was closeted in a meeting for a couple of hours.

What transpired in the Pawar-Adani meeting is not yet known.

Also Read: Adani Group repays Rs 24,610 crore in pledges, bonds: Report

The meeting assumes significance in the wake of the ongoing developments involving NCP in Maharashtra with reports of Pawar’s nephew and Leader of Opposition in the Assembly Ajit Pawar switching over or supporting the BJP along with his group.

However, the Pawar uncle-nephew had issued vehement denials - and both were seen together in an event a couple of days ago.

The last time Pawar, a former four-time former Maharashtra Chief Minister and three-time Union minister, and Adani met was in Baramati in Pune on June 16, 2022 when the founder of the Ahmedabad-headquartered Adani Group, inaugurated the science park at the Agricultural Development Trust.

He had also attended the valedictory ceremony of the boot camp of the 'Sharad Pawar Inspire Fellowship in Agriculture’. The entire Pawar clan including Pawar Senior, Pawar Junior, who was the then Deputy Chief Minister, who is an MLA from Baramati, his daughter, and Baramati MP Supriya Sule, and his grand-nephew and Karjat-Jamkhed MLA Rohit Pawar were present.

However, this visit has a background of Pawar Senior recently breaking ranks with Opposition parties and Congress and speaking about his reservations about a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe on the Adani Group-Hindenburg Report issue.

In a TV interview and later interaction with media persons, Pawar had said: “(Though) my party has supported the JPC but I feel that JPC will be dominated by the ruling party thus the truth will not come out...so I feel that a Supreme Court-monitored panel is a better way to bring out the truth…When we attacked the government of the day (earlier) we would name Tata Birla. Now we don't take these names. But Tatas have contributed to the development of the country…more than Adani Ambani, people are facing more important issues like unemployment, price rise and problems of farmers.”

However, in a U-turn, Pawar later said: "A friend's opinion could be different from mine, but we have to be united in this. I expressed my opinion. But if colleagues feel that a JPC probe is needed, I will not oppose it. I may not agree with their opinion, but will not allow the Opposition strength to be affected”.