'Supreme Court committee will be more useful, effective than JPC': Sharad Pawar on Hindenburg-Adani row

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar on Saturday (April 8) said he is not completely opposed to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the charges against the Adani group, but a Supreme Court committee will be more useful and effective.

Speaking to reporters, the NCP chief said if a JPC has 21 members, 15 will be from the ruling party and six from the opposition due to numerical strength in Parliament, which will create doubts on the panel.

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He said the apex court decided to appoint a panel of retired Supreme Court judges with a direction of submitting the report in a specific time period.

"I am not completely opposed to the JPC, there have been JPCs, and I have been a chairman of some of the JPCs. The JPC will be constituted based on majority (in Parliament). Instead of a JPC, I am of the opinion the Supreme Court committee is more useful and effective," Pawar said.

The NCP chief also said he was not aware of the antecedents of United States-based Hindenburg Research, which has alleged stock manipulation and accounting fraud in firms belonging to billionaire Gautam Adani.

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It has resulted in strident protests by the opposition Congress, led by Rahul Gandhi, and others against the Narendra Modi government seeking a JPC probe. The Adani group has refuted the allegations.

"One foreign company takes a position about the situation in the country. We should decide how much focus should be on this. Instead of this (JPC), a Supreme Court panel is more effective," Pawar added.