Opposition must heed Sharad Pawar's words on Adani, says CM Eknath Shinde

Pawar is a very senior politician and must have spoken on the Adani issue after much study, Shinde said

A day after Sharad Pawar's statement that US short-seller Hindenburg Research's report on the Adani Group seemed to be a "targetted attack”, Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief leader has asked the opposition to pay heed to the NCP supremo's words.

United States-based Hindenburg Research had alleged large scale stock manipulation and accounting fraud in the firms of billionaire Gautam Adani, leading to strident protests by the opposition Congress and others against the Narendra Modi government. The group had refuted the allegations.

"The Congress started an agitation seeking an explanation of Rs 20,000 crore for the Adani Group. Even (former Chief Minister) Uddhav Thackeray continuously spoke on this (Adani Group) issue. Now Pawar saheb has commented and hence, now those who are protesting should heed these comments,” Shinde told reporters in Thane's Kalyan.

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Shiv Sena spokesperson and party’s Deputy Leader Krishna Hegde said, “We have been saying for long that leaders of Opposition (parties) are not on the same page. Now the statement of Pawar saheb proves that….he clearly states that the demand of (Congress leader) Rahul Gandhi for a JPC probe is not appropriate.”

In an interview to 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," he said.

"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 had said.

Speaking to the media after a property exhibition in Kalyan on Friday night, CM Shinde said, "The Congress started an agitation seeking explanation of Rs 20,000 crore in the Adani group. Even Uddhav Thackeray continuously spoke on this issue. Now Pawar has commented and those who are protesting should heed these comments."

Pawar is a very senior politician and must have spoken on the Adani issue after much study, and, therefore, those protesting should clarify their stand, the CM said in a swipe at the Congress and Shiv Sena (UBT), which are allies with the NCP in the Maha Vikas Aghadi.

(With PTI inputs)