Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday charged that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) was never misused in the past as much as it was being done now by the Narendra Modi Government to target its political opponents not just in Maharashtra but the entire country.
Talking to media persons in Pune, Pawar said: “The ED has been misused as it is being done now by the BJP-led NDA Government to bring its political opponents to their knees. This is not happening in just Maharashtra but is happening in the states like Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and various southern states”.
Pawar was responding to questions relating to the investigations launched by the ED against Maharashtra’s former Home Minister Anil Deshmukh, former Minister and NCP leader Eknath Khadse, Shiv Sena leaders Pratap Sarnaik and Anil Parab.
Pawar’s comment came a day after the ED filed a charge-sheet against Khadse, his wife Mandakini and son-in-law Girish Chaudhary in the alleged money laundering in the much-discussed Pune land deal.
It may be recalled that Chaudary was arrested by the ED for offences allegedly committed by him under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
This is for the first time that the Pawar has slammed the Centre for “misusing” the CBI and ED to harass its political opponents.
Defending his party leader and former State Home Minister Anil Desdhmukh, Pawar had said in the past: “he raids are aimed at harassing Deshmukh. This is a new political pattern adopted by the Centre. The agencies will get nothing. We are not at all worried by this kind of investigation”.