Jayant Patil clarified that the purpose of the meeting was associated with the initiation of a new investment venture and emphasized that there should be no grounds for objection or controversy in this regard.
Over the weekend, Sharad Pawar, the Chief of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), held a meeting with the prominent industrialist Gautam Adani in Ahmedabad. Following this encounter, the BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla took a swipe at Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, sharing a photograph of Pawar and Adani and asserting, "Nobody in the INDI Alliance takes Rahul Gandhi or his statements seriously."
In response to this, Jayant Patil issued a statement to clarify the nature of the meeting. He stated that the gathering was specifically linked to the inauguration of a fresh investment enterprise. He further conveyed that there should be no grounds for objection to the meeting, as reported by the news agency ANI.
On the same day, Pawar and Adani jointly inaugurated a factory located in a village in Sanand, situated in Ahmedabad, Gujarat. The NCP leader shared images of himself alongside Gautam Adani on a social media platform and expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to inaugurate the factory in collaboration with the renowned businessman.
Sharad Pawar tweeted, "It was a privilege to inaugurate India’s first Lactoferrin Plant Exympower in Vasna, Chacharwadi, Gujarat along with Mr. Gautam Adani."
Jayant Patil further clarified that Sharad Pawar's presence at the inauguration event was a result of his existing acquaintanceship with Gautam Adani, who had extended an invitation for the occasion.
In his statement, Patil underscored the need to differentiate between the two distinct events—the inauguration ceremony and the meetings related to the INDI Alliance. He emphasized that these were separate matters and should not be conflated.
Patil elaborated, "It was merely one project where Sharad Pawar attended and inaugurated it... Sharad Pawar has consistently supported the decisions made during the meetings of the INDIA alliance... There is no reason to conflate these two distinct aspects."
He further added, "All the deliberations within the INDIA alliance are conducted by all the leaders, with the active participation of Sharad Pawar."
