SC committee on Adani issue will have limited terms of reference: Cong

The Congress on Saturday said the Supreme Court committee to look into the Hindenburg research report on Adani group has limited terms of reference and "cannot bring out the deep nexus between" the prime minister and the billionaire businessman.

The remarks came soon after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo Sharad Pawar said this panel will be more useful and effective than a joint parliamentary committee to probe the Adani issue.

"The Supreme Court Committee has very limited terms of reference. It cannot bring out the deep nexus between PM and Adani," said AICC general secretary Jairam Ramesh.

"Only a JPC can find answers to the HAHK (Hum Adanike Hain Kaun) series of 100 questions and more that are emerging," he also said, adding that the "JPCs in 1992 and 2001 were both worthwhile exercises".

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also tweeted in Hindi, "They hide the truth, that's why they mislead everyday! The question remains the same - who's Rs 20,000 crore benami money is in Adani's companies?"

He also put out a picture with Adani's name and merged the names of "Ghulam, Scindia, Kiran, Himanta, Anil" in it, to assert his claim that these issues are being raised to divert attention from the Adani issue. All these Congress leaders have quit the Congress and some have joined the BJP creating headlines.

Ramesh commented on Gandhi's tweet, saying "Derail, Distort, Divert and Defame. This Mr. M's 4D policy."

Pawar, while batting for the Supreme Court panel, said, "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 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."

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

The opposition led by the Congress has been seeking a JPC probe in the Adani issue. 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.

In an interview to NDTV, Pawar had come 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.