'Misunderstood...': Ajit on row over Adani's 'presence' during BJP-NCP talks

'Misunderstood...': Ajit on row over Adani's 'presence' during BJP-NCP talks
14 Nov 2024

A day after sparking a major political controversy with his statement that industrialist Gautam Adani attended a 2019 meeting between the Nationalist Congress Party and Bharatiya Janata Party leaders to discuss forming a government, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar clarified his position.

He said that his comments have been misrepresented.

"There seems to be some misunderstanding. He (Gautam Adani) is not even distantly related to the incident...He has nothing to do with politics," Ajit told reporters in Beed.

Ajit Pawar clarifies statement, denies Adani's political involvement
Statement clarification

In an interview with The News Minute, Ajit had said, "Everybody knows where the meeting took place... Everyone was there. Let me tell you again. Amit Shah was there, Gautam Adani was there, Praful Patel was there, Devendra Fadnavis was there, Ajit Pawar was there, Pawar Saheb (Sharad Pawar) was there."

He also claimed that his decision to ally with the BJP in 2019—when he took the oath as Deputy CM only to resign within 80 hours—had Sharad's approval.

Sharad Pawar denies involvement in government formation talks
Meeting admissions

Sharad, for his part, confirmed meeting both Adani and Union Home Minister Shah, but denied the discussions Ajit described.

"Had such a thing happened, you would have seen the BJP-NCP government being formed," he told a Marathi news channel, adding that his nephew's claims were unfounded.

Sharad said he had met with several Union ministers and industrialists following the 2019 election, accompanied by Ajit, but clarified that these meetings were not about forming a government.

Sharad Pawar's meetings with industrialists stir controversy
Industrialist interactions

"Ajit Pawar was with me on some of these occasions. The idea was that he would get to know them (the industrialists)," he explained.

Sharad added that he met Shah "three to four times," clarifying that these meetings focused solely on Maharashtra-related issues and matters concerning the agriculture sector.

"I have also visited Ratan Tata, Kirloskars and other industrialists' residences," he said when asked about his visit to Adani's residence.

Ajit's comments spark row
Action defense

After Ajit's comments, both the Congress and the Shiv Sena (UBT) criticized the BJP and the ruling Mahayuti, accusing them of plotting to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi government.

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Sanjay Raut stated, "According to Ajit Pawar, our government was brought down by industrialists. There were frequent meetings between Gautam Adani, Amit Shah, and Devendra Fadnavis... to bring down the government. Ask Ajit Dada whether it was Sharad Pawar or Adani who split the party."

Congress slams 'shocking nexus' between Modi-Adani

Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera added, "When you think nothing can be more shocking about this nexus between Modi & Adani, a new example of brazenness comes out. How can a businessman be officially allowed to be part of the negotiations to dethrone governments?"

Meanwhile, Adani has not commented on the matter and the BJP has refrained from making any statements regarding these allegations.