Cong Lashes out at Pawar Over ‘SC Panel for Adani Probe’; BJP Calls it ‘Appalling’

Amid talks of opposition unity, Congress leaders on Sunday lashed out at Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar over his stance on the probe into the allegations against Adani Group, with Alka Lamba calling him “scared and greedy”. Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and Maharashtra Deputy CM Devendra Fadnavis called the response “appalling”.

Pawar on Saturday said that a “Supreme Court-appointed Committee would be more effective as a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) would have more members from the ruling party and fewer from the opposition”. “I am not completely opposed to the JPC. There have been JPCs and I have been the chairman of some JPCs. The JPC will be constituted on the basis of majority (in Parliament). Instead of a JPC, I am of the opinion that the Supreme Court committee is more useful and effective…Although 18-19 opposition parties have come together on the Adani issue, not all of them will get representation on the JPC as some of them have only one or two members in Parliament. If a JPC has 21 members, about 15 of them will be from the ruling party,” he said.

The Congress is firm on its demand for a JPC.

Congress leader Alka Lamba targeted Pawar by tweeting a photograph in which Pawar and Adani can be seen together. Lamba tweeted, “Scared – greedy people are today singing the praises of dictatorial power because of their personal interests – only one Rahul Gandhi is fighting the battle of the people of the country – with the capitalist thieves and also with the watchman who saves the thieves.”

State Congress Chief Nana Patole said: “We want a JPC probe into the allegations. Whatever Sharad Pawar has said is his view. But we are firm on our demand.”

Former CM and senior Congress leader Ashok Chavan said, “The statement is unlikely to make any difference to the opposition unity in the 2024 elections. But if the opposition takes a decision on any issue unitedly, then all opposition parties and their leaders should show solidarity.”

UDDHAV, FADNAVIS TO THE DEFENCE

The Shiv Sena UBT, part of Mahavikas Aghadi (MVA), however, defended Pawar, saying it is his personal view and will have no impact on the alliance.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), meanwhile, targeted the Congress over the differences with their alliance partners.

Recently, Shiv Sena UBT had slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for insulting Veer Savarkar.

Fadnavis targeted Rahul Gandhi over Lamba’s latest tweet. “Politics will come and go but this Tweet by a Congress leader on their longstanding ally of 35 years and one of the India’s senior most political leaders and a 4 time CM of Maharashtra is appalling,” tweeted Fadnavis.

Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde has said, “The opposition must heed Sharad Pawar’s words.”

Pawar’s statement has created a buzz not only in Maharashtra’s political corridors, but also in national politics. The Congress is certainly not happy being targeted by their own alliance partners over two issues.

Although the opposition leaders are saying there are no cracks within the united opposition, will these small differences make the path smooth for the ruling party ahead of the 2024 national elections?

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