Sharad Pawar says spoke to PM Modi about ED lens on Sanjay Raut

NCP leader Sharad Pawar said if a central agency takes a step like this, then they have to take responsibility for it.

Sharad Pawar, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) supremo, met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Delhi on Wednesday. According to reports, the meeting between the two leaders held at the Prime Minister's Office in Parliament lasted for about 20 minutes.

NCP chief Sharad Pawar talks to reporters at his residence in New Delhi on Wednesday.  (Sanjeev Verma/HT Photo)

Pawar’s meeting came in the backdrop of central agencies intensifying their investigations against leaders of the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA). The NCP is part of the Shiv Sena-led MVA government along with the Congress.

The NCP chief later said he spoke to Modi about the attaching of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut's properties by the Enforcement Directorate. “If a central agency takes a step like this, then they've to take responsibility for it… is this action against him because he speaks against the government?” Pawar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

A day ago, the ED attached assets worth more than ₹11.15 crore of Raut's wife and two of his associates in a money-laundering case related to certain land deals.

Hours ago, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) took custody of former Maharashtra home minister and NCP leader Anil Deshmukh.

Deshmukh was taken into custody by the CBI team from the Arthur Road Prison in Central Mumbai and placed under arrest in connection with corruption allegations raised against him by former Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh. Another NCP leader and Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik is also behind bars.

Earlier, Maharashtra deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar said the NCP president might have met the Prime Minister to discuss "developmental works", while adding that he had no information about the contents of the talks and hence, should not be asked to comment on the same.

“... The country's prime minister and the national president of a party can meet over developmental works. There are some important issues which need to be discussed when Parliament is in session. There may be such issues,” said Ajit Pawar, who is the NCP chief's nephew.

Pawar said the ruling coalition will come back to power after the next assembly election in Maharashtra.

(With agency inputs)