NCP Chief Sharad Pawar NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said that the video recordings released on Tuesday by Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis in the state Assembly in a way show that central agencies were involved in making the recordings.
Pawar told mediapersons, “I have heard that the recordings extend to 125 hours. If that is true, then you need to have the support of powerful agencies to execute this act. Such agencies are only available with the Union government. They have managed to enter a state government office and carry out hidden recordings for hours. I am sure the state government will probe the incident and also the veracity of the tapes.”
On Tuesday, Fadnavis had presented video recordings before state Assembly Deputy Speaker Narhari Zirwal, claiming that the tapes contain proof that the leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government were trying to frame state BJP leaders in false cases.
महाराष्ट्राची सत्ता हातातून गेल्यानंतर विविध केंद्रीय यंत्रणांची मदत घेऊन सरकार अस्थिर करण्याच्या भाजपच्या प्रयत्नांना यश मिळत नाही आहे. त्यामुळे अशा प्रकारची टोकाची भूमिका त्यांनी घेतली असावी.
— Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) March 9, 2022
“It first needs to be proved whether the recording is authentic or not. The state government will definitely probe that… the veracity needs to be confirmed. My name also seems to have been dragged directly or indirectly. There is no reason, I am not related to it,” said Pawar.
He added that the Maharashtra government will examine the materials submitted by Fadnavis and will keep facts before the people at the right time.
नवाब मलिक यांनी राजीनामा द्यायचा काही संबंधच नाही. मुस्लिम नेता असला की त्याचा संबंध थेट दाऊदशी जोडला जावा हे निरर्थक आहे. एक पक्ष म्हणून आम्ही सदैव त्यांच्याशी पाठीशी मजबुतीने उभे राहू.
— Sharad Pawar (@PawarSpeaks) March 9, 2022
Pawar claimed that the BJP was making accusations as it was not being able to destabilise the MVA government. He said Central agencies were also being “misused on a big scale” in Trinamool Congress-ruled West Bengal “to discourage” BJP’s opponents.
“BJP leaders make complaints and then elected representatives get targeted. This is happening in Maharashtra and West Bengal,” he said.
Citing the case of former state home minister Anil Deshmukh, who has been arrested, Pawar also said that central agencies raided Deshmukh, his family and associates at least 90 times.
“I have information that Anil Deshmukh, his family, relatives, private secretary and chartered accountant have been raided at least 90 times. Statements of over 200 people have been recorded in his case. The Enforcement Directorate has conducted 50 raids, the Central Bureau of Investigation 20 raids and the Income-Tax department has carried out 20 raids. In all, 90 raids have been conducted in a case pertaining to one person. I have never heard of this before in my experience as an administrator. These raids are symbolic of how the central agencies are being used… Using central agencies in this way is a shameful practice in a parliamentary democracy,” he added.
He further said that Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut had written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on how officials of central agencies were extorting money from people. “I hope the PM takes cognisance of this letter,” Pawar said.
He also dismissed BJP’s demand for the resignation of NCP Minister Nawab Malik, arrested by the ED in connection with a money laundering case.
“He is a leader who got elected to the state legislature for the past 25-30 years. You never levelled allegations against him then… if there is a Muslim functionary, you link him to (gangster) Dawood. This is deplorable. The party stands firmly with him,” Pawar said.
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