Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday hit out at the Narendra Modi-led government at the Centre over the alleged “misuse of central agencies” and the violence in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri that left eight people dead. He demanded the resignation of Union minister Ajay Mishra Teni, whose son Ashish Mishra has been arrested in connection with the violence.
“Despite the gruesome killing, the ruling party (Bharatiya Janata Party) in Uttar Pradesh and at the Centre government tried to shrug off the responsibility. ... Ashish Mishra... was arrested only after the Supreme Court pulled up the government,” Pawar said at a press conference. He linked the income tax department’s raids on the premises of his nieces in Pune since last week with a political vendetta and said they were carried out as he likened the Lakhimpur Kheri violence to the Jallianwala Bagh massacre during India’s freedom movement. He quoted unnamed central ministers telling him that their leadership has taken the comparison seriously.
Also read: Cong delegation meets President Kovind, submits memorandum on Lakhimpur
Pawar called the action against his nieces unprecedented. “The raids on my three nieces are on for the sixth day. The income tax teams have not found anything in the raids and the officers want to wind up the operation. But their bosses from Delhi have instructed them to continue the raids. My nieces are apolitical and have nothing to do with the sugar mills or other businesses facing action. Teams of up to 18 members are raiding the houses of my nieces who live in small houses. We are not against the action, but it should not cross the limit,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Pawar called the action against his nieces unprecedented. “The raids on my three nieces are on for the sixth day. The income tax teams have not found anything in the raids and the officers want to wind up the operation. But their bosses from Delhi have instructed them to continue the raids. My nieces are apolitical and have nothing to do with the sugar mills or other businesses facing action. Teams of up to 18 members are raiding the houses of my nieces who live in small houses. We are not against the action, but it should not cross the limit,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Pawar questioned Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) actions during the raids on a cruise in Mumbai and the agency’s association with the people facing criminal charges. “I have heard many stories about the zonal chief of NCB during his tenure at the Mumbai airport, but I would not speak about it as I have no specific information,” said Pawar. He added questions were being raised over the agency’s association with the people like Kiran Gosavi, who is facing criminal cases and is absconding as per police records. “He is NCB’s independent witness in the drug raid case. It raises questions over the integrity of the central agency. The agency appears to take action only for the sake of publicity and to show to their bosses in Delhi and to oblige them.”
Pawar said the NCP will stand with the government on the India-China border standoff, which appears to be intensifying. “We will not do any politics on the issue...”
There were no immediate responses to Pawar’s comments.