Mumbai: National Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar, named in a money-laundering case by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a scam at Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank, said Friday he won’t be going to the agency’s office later in the day as announced by him earlier this week.
Sharad Pawar’s decision to refrain from going after Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Barve met him at his residence and requested him not to visit the ED office as it may create a law and order situation.
Meanwhile in an official communication to Sharad Pawar, the ED said that he need not visit the probe agency’s office. “We will call you when required,” the ED said.
Pawar had earlier announced that he would visit the ED office at 2.00pm Friday, even though the agency has not summoned him yet.
Talking to reporters, Pawar thanked the Shiv Sena and Congress for backing him on the ED action issue. He added that the agency’s action gave an impression that opposition leaders were being targeted.
Meanwhile the NCP leaders cried foul over the development. The country’s democracy is in ‘peril’ and will be ‘extinct’, they warned as they slammed the BJP government over the ED case against Sharad Pawar and alleged detention of party workers.
The Congress, an ally of the NCP, has also slammed the Modi government and accused it of targeting Pawar ahead of the next month’s Assembly polls in Maharashtra.
Asserting the NCP chief was no way associated with the alleged scam, the party has alleged the ED’s press statement that bears Pawar’s name in connection with the case was drafted in the ruling BJP’s office.
“It seems the press note was issued from the BJP’s office. We won’t tolerate the machination of maligning the party and its leader ahead of the polls. We are ready to face the situation,” NCP chief spokesperson Nawab Malik told reporters here.
Seconding Malik, another NCP leader Dhananjay Munde accused the BJP of being ‘inebriated with power’ and stifling voices of its political opponents.
“This one (the case against Pawar) is one such decision (of stifling voices),” Munde, the Leader of the Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council stated. Democracy is in peril. It will be extinct in some days if things go on like this,” Munde added.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi also slammed the Modi government, accusing it of being vindictive and targeting Pawar.
“Sharad Pawar Ji is the latest Opposition leader to be targeted by a vindictive government. The timing of this action, a month before elections in Maharashtra, reeks of political opportunism,” Rahul Gandhi said on Twitter.
Agencies
