Central agencies, including CBI, ED, NCB being misused: Sharad Pawar

NCP chief Sharad Pawar has claimed that central agencies including the Central Bureau of Investigation the Enforcement Directorate and the Narcotics Control Bureau were being misused to target the opposition parties in MaharashtraCare is being taken to ensure political opponents are defamed using the central agencies Pawar whose party shares power with the Shiv Sena and Congress in Maharashtra said at a press conference here The Centre has been continuously using some institutions like the CBI Income Tax department Enforcement Directorate Narcotics Control Bureau All these agencies are being misused for political purposes he claimedHis remarks came days after the IT department raided some entities linked to Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar Referring to it Sharad Pawar said personnel of the agencies have been conducting raids for the sixth day on Wednesday Referring to the case of former Maharashtra home minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh who is facing probe by central agencies on multiple charges the party chief said Deshmukh had to step down as home minister following allegations levelled against him by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh Singh had alleged that Deshmukh wanted police officers to collect Rs 100 crore monthly from bars and hotels in MumbaiThe one who levelled the charges Param Bir Singh is untraceable But it never happens that a responsible officer makes allegations against a responsible minister But Anil Deshmukh resigned and there are a string of allegations against him And he Singh has fled This is the difference the NCP president said coming out in defence of his party leader Param Bir Singh has been booked in multiple cases of extortionHe is also facing a case under the SCST Prevention of Atrocities Act registered in April this year on a complaint lodged by a police inspector His Deshmukhs house was raided for the fifth time I dont understand what the agencies got after going there for the fifth time But they the agencies have created a record Sharad Pawar quippedTaking a dig at the BJP he said the party leaders are the forefront to defend the central agencies The NCP chief further said in his 54year legislative career he handled administrative responsibilities for nearly 26 years and had good relations with the administration when he was in the opposition or in the governmentWe never showed the arrogance of power the former Union minister said He also targeted the Narcotics Control Bureau NCB recently conducted a number of raids including on some highprofile people saying the Mumbai Polices AntiNarcotics Cell ANC has done a better job than the central agencyThe state agency does its job with honesty but it appears that the central agency does its job only to give their record to the Centre he said Apart from the recent drugs bust onboard a cruise liner off the Mumbai coast that led to the arrest of Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khans son Aryan Khan NCBs Mumbai zonal director Sameer Wankhede last year investigated a drug case linked to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and several other matters related to narcotics involving highprofile peopleSharad Pawar said he also got to know about other incidents during Wankhedes tenure at the airport However the NCP chief did not elaborate further saying he does not have full information about this In his earlier tenure Wankhede an IRS officer had served at the Mumbai airportTalking about the recent killing of four farmers in Uttar Pradeshs Lakhimpur Kheri district Sharad Pawar said From the very first day the ruling party BJP took a stand that there is no truth in this killing of farmers The Uttar Pradesh chief minister cannot absolve himself of the responsibility of not taking action against the crime Eight people including four farmers died in violence in Lakhimpur Kheri on October 3The farmers died after being knocked down by vehicles reportedly carrying BJP workers after which an angry mob allegedly lynched some people in these vehicles On Saturday night Union Minister of State for Home Ajay Mishras son Ashish Mishra was arrested by the police in Lakhimpur Kheri in connection with the October 3 violence Pawar also demanded the resignation of Union minister Ajay MishraAlso Read Aryan Khan bail hearing Satish Maneshinde arrives at Special NDPS courtThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever