Sharad Pawar claims Centre is using ED to pressurise opposition leaders

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday attacked the Centre and accused it of using the Enforcement Directorate (ED) to pressurise Opposition leaders across the country. While stating that ED was never used before the way it is being used these days, Sharad Pawar said that ED raids are not happening only in Maharashtra but also in MP, Rajasthan, Punjab & some southern states. 

Pawar's comments have come when the ED is probing a money laundering case against NCP leader and former Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh. It has been alleged that Rs 4.7 crore was collected as "extortion" from the orchestra bars by the now-dismissed Mumbai police officer Sachin Waze allegedly on Deshmukh's instructions. Later, this amount was transferred to Deshmukh's Nagpur-based educational trust by his son, Hrishikesh. According to the allegation, the transaction was routed via two hawala operators and was showed as a "donation".

Sharad Pawar: 'Everyone has a right to protest'

Speaking further, the NCP chief said that the Centre has asked the state government to take appropriate measures to contain COVID. Informing that the CM & state government are doing that, he said that everyone has the right to protest in democracy but when the Centre takes a stance, their party (BJP) workers should also follow that. 

Earlier, Shiv Sena MP, Sanjay Raut had made similar allegations. He had said a notice issued by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) is not a “death warrant” but a “love letter” for political workers, a day after Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra minister Anil Parab was asked to appear before the anti-money laundering agency. "Frequency of such love letters has increased after unsuccessful attempts to breach the wall of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) which is strong and impregnable," he told reporters.

Shiv Sena leaders Bhavan Gawali and Anil Parab recently came under ED’s radar and raids were conducted at multiple locations related to them. Pawar also hit out on BJP workers for not adhering to safety norms laid down by the Centre itself. He said everyone has the right to protest in a democracy but when the Govt itself “takes a stance” BJP workers should follow.

Image: PTI