NCP vows to respond against ‘misuse of central agencies’

The issue of harassment of NCP leaders and ministers was raised in Wednesday’s meeting held at YB Chavan Centre, Nariman Point

Mumbai The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) vowed to face and respond to the alleged misuse of central agencies against their senior leaders and ministers in the Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government. The decision was taken in a meeting called by NCP supremo chief Sharad Pawar to discuss current political issues on Wednesday.

Nawab Malik, who was vocal against the central agencies, especially the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), is the second NCP minister arrested by the ED (Bhushan Koyande)

The meeting was called a day before the budget session of the state legislature starting from Thursday, where the BJP is likely to make attempts to corner the MVA government by going aggressive on their demand for the resignation of state minority affairs minister Nawab Malik.

However, the party on Wednesday again made it clear that they won’t bend as Malik was falsely implicated in a money laundering case. “BJP needs to stop its habit of demanding resignation of the ministers by making false allegations,” said Jayant Patil, state NCP chief over BJP’s demand to sack Malik from the ministerial council.

Malik, who was vocal against the central agencies, especially the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), is the second NCP minister arrested by the ED. Former home minister Anil Deshmukh is already in ED custody in connection with corruption cases lodged against him.

The ruling party has also decided to inform its legislators about the facts in Malik’s case. State NCP chief Jayant Patil and housing minister Jitendra Awhad have been given the responsibility to counter the BJP’s allegations against Malik in both the Houses of the state legislature, said a minister, requesting anonymity.

Pawar holds a review meeting with party ministers and members of parliament (MPs) periodically.

The issue of harassment of NCP leaders and ministers was raised in Wednesday’s meeting held at YB Chavan Centre, Nariman Point.

The NCP chief is said to have told the party leaders in the meeting that their ministers are being targeted by the central agencies, be it Anil Deshmukh (former home minister), Nawab Malik (minority affairs minister) or Prajakt Tanpure (minister of state for urban development and power) and they will also not keep quiet and respond accordingly. “We will face the situation because the truth is with us. It is very clear that we are being harassed and we won’t take it lying down and respond accordingly,” Pawar said.

“I have read HT’s news report today. It indicates that attempts were made to frame (Bollywood actor) Shahrukh Khan’s son (Aryan Khan) by raiding the cruise and making a lot of noise. The officer (Sameer Wankhede) who did all this and the BJP office bearers who were there along with him have been exposed. Nawab Malik, who made so many revelations and also exposed wrongdoings by NCB officials, after which the way government-run central agencies are working against him, also made it clear that justice will be denied to all those who will speak the truth,” Patil told reporters in response to Hindustan Times’s news report.

Meanwhile, Tanpure, who is also facing the ED probe, was asked to explain how he is being targeted by the central agency in connection with an alleged scam in the Maharashtra State Cooperative (MSC) Bank.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has attached 90 acres of land worth ₹13.41 crore, belonging to Ram Ganesh Gadkari Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana (SSK), which was already auctioned by the Maharashtra State Co-operative (MSC) Bank, causing losses to the bank.

The NCP minister was questioned by the ED in December 2021 in connection with the case. ED’s case is based on an FIR in August 2019 registered by the Economic Offences Wing of the Mumbai police, pursuant to a Bombay high court order of August 22, that year. It is alleged in the FIR that cooperative sugar factories were fraudulently sold by then officials and directors of MSC Bank at throwaway prices to the entities owned by their relatives, without following due procedure. The EOW has, however, filed a report before a competent court, which is pending.

Besides, deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar, rural development minister Hasan Mushrif among others who are facing probes by the central agencies.