A Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) is "a weapon that Parliament can use to reveal the truth", the Maharashtra unit of Congress stressed on Monday amid a row over comments linked to industrialist Gautam Adani. The remarks come days after Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, a Congress ally, dismissed the Opposition's demand for a JPC over a report by short-selling firm Hindenburg on Adani. "In 2003, a JPC was formed to probe the pesticide findings in cold drinks and Sharad Pawar headed that panel. It resulted in regulations on cold drink firms with regard to safety. This is just one example. JPC is a weapon with Parliament that needs to be used," said former Chief Minister and senior Congress leader Prithviraj Chavan. He was speaking at the extended executive meeting of the Congress in Thane. In an interview on Friday with NDTV, a news channel in which Adani has a majority stake, Pawar distanced himself from the demand of ally Congress for a JPC probe. He insisted that he did not agree with stalling of Parliament by Congress and other opposition parties on the matter. In response to the interview, Chavan said: "The interview was aired on a channel owned by Adani. I don't know what is the trick here. But let's not talk about it as we have to work together in future as well." Targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said the Opposition's demand for panels on issues of demonetisation, GST, Rafale, or lockdown have also not been accepted earlier. "Will he face the JPC? No, he is scared of the demand. And maybe that's why he chose to ask someone from the Opposition." Chavan commented, stepping up the attack. At the meeting, Congress also passed a resolution to extend support to Rahul Gandhi. The party leaders said he faced action for "asking questions about the relation between Adani and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and who owns Rs 20,000 crore?" "Rahul Gandhi asked questions about Adani and PM Narendra Modi. So, he was suspended from Lok Sabha. He was barred from speaking the truth. The BJP is scared of the growing popularity of Rahul Gandhi and therefore it has been trying to suppress his voice," said legislative party leader Balasaheb Thorat. Former Chief Minister Ashok Chavan said that this was "not only Gandhi's problem but of every Indian". "If you see the chronology, it is evident that the BJP has murdered democracy. It is a conspiracy with a systematic and vengeful manner," he said.
