TMC, NCPs own positions about Adani won't affect Opposition unity: Sanjay Raut

Sanjay Raut said that the respective stances of Opposition parties on the Adani issue will not jeopardise opposition unity.

Mumbai:Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut has clarified that differences in opinion regarding Adani among opposition parties such as the TMC and NCP will not affect 'Opposition unity' against the ruling BJP government. Raut's statement comes after NCP chief Sharad Pawar's recent interview with a television news channel, where he stated that the Hindenburg report on Adani seems to be 'targeted' and that the opposition has blown the matter 'out of proportion.'

Pawar's statement also included his belief that the names of Adani and Ambani were being dragged by the opposition in their criticism of the Modi government. He went on to say that one must consider the contribution of these business magnates to the country's economy.

The Shiv Sena, which is in an alliance with the Congress party in Maharashtra along with the NCP, had previously taken offense at Rahul Gandhi's 'Savarkar' reference during his maiden press conference following his disqualification. This caused the Sena to skip one of the Opposition meets over this issue, which was later amicably solved between the two parties, with Sharad Pawar playing the role of peacemaker. The grand old party later softened its stance by promising to be careful in the future not to raise issues that would be ideologically inappropriate for other opposition parties.

Similarly, the TMC had stayed out of the Opposition protests against Adani until recently, when it made a surprise entry at one of the Opposition meets called by Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge after Rahul Gandhi was disqualified from the Parliament following a Surat court verdict that held him guilty in the 'Modi surname' defamation case.

The opposition has been holding meetings to strategize their actions on the floor of the House and have been holding public demonstrations at the Parliament premises, demanding a Joint Parliamentary Committee probe into the Adani issue. The opposition against the BJP was intensified after Rahul Gandhi's disqualification from the Lok Sabha.

When the opposition was demanding a Joint Parliament Committee to probe into the Adani-Hindenburg issue, Pawar said that there was 'no need' for a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) probe into the Adani issue. He reasoned that a Supreme Court-appointed committee would be more unbiased.

Pawar explained that in a 21-member JPC, 15 of them would be from the BJP, and the opposition would have only a strength of six members. Thus, the report would be biased and favor the government's position, he said. He added that the opposition should realize that the BJP has a majority in both houses of Parliament, and creating disruptions on the 'Adani' issue would not be effective.

The second half of the budget session was marked with rampant disruptions owing to the Opposition parties pressing on the 'Adani' issue. However, Raut's statement suggests that despite differences in opinion on the Adani matter, the opposition remains united in their efforts to hold the ruling BJP government accountable.