Sharad Pawar says his colleagues joined BJP under pressure due to ED action

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar on Sunday alleged that some of his colleagues joined ranks with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under pressure due to actions being taken by central agencies

Pune

Pawar senior was referring to his nephew Ajit Pawar and other senior leaders from the party breaking away from NCP to join the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government. (HT PHOTO)

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) founder Sharad Pawar on Sunday alleged that some of his colleagues joined ranks with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) under pressure due to actions being taken by central agencies. Pawar senior was referring to his nephew Ajit Pawar and other senior leaders from the party breaking away from NCP to join the Eknath Shinde-Devendra Fadnavis government.

“Recently some of our people joined the government. They are saying they went on the issue of development but there was no major meaning to it. Some of them were under investigation from the Enforcement Directorate, some of them did not want to face the action like Anil Deshmukh,” said Pawar senior while addressing workers during NCP social media meet-up event in the city on Sunday.

Deshmukh as then home minister was arrested by ED in November 2021, in connection with a money laundering case. The 73-year-old Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader was later discharged on bail.

Pawar said Deshmukh agreed to go to jail and spent 14 months where he was also offered to join that side (BJP) to avoid investigation. “But he (Deshmukh) said he did not commit any crime he will face the law and did not leave his ideology. Some of our members joined BJP under the pressure of investigations by agencies,” Pawar said.