Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) legislator and party chief Sharad Pawar’s grandnephew Rohit Pawar claimed that the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has been misused by the Centre against political opponents and hinted that he may receive notice from the central investigating agency.
“ED has probe against leaders from NCP, Congress and Shiv Sena or some other party leaders, especially those not with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). ED is used like a tool rather than an institute. Now, even a common man is discussing ED and referring to it as a political tool,” said Pawar in a conversation with the Free Press Journal. “It may happen tomorrow that ED may send me a summon, so we all are prepared for it. As it is a tool, we will reply to it,” he added.
To a question whether ED is being roped in to topple the Maha Vikas Aghadi government, Pawar said if people realize that the central investigating agency is being used against non-BJP parties, then it could be an effort to bring down the government. “More they use such agencies, the closer the MVA partners will come,” said Pawar. He claimed that when power goes into the head of the ruling party, they focus on personal issues which are not correct.
On his Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) visit at Navi Mumbai, Pawar said he dropped there after a long time. The visit coincided with the ongoing agitation by the farmers at the Delhi borders against the three farm laws, especially the dismantling of APMCs for giving freedom to farmers to sell their produce anywhere.
He made a strong case for changes in the three laws, saying that abolition of APMC will go against farmers as they will be forced to sell the produce to private APMCs at lower prices against MSP. ''Agriculture is a state subject. The Centre should have taken states and other stakeholders on the board before passing them in a haste. Deadlock will not end until the Centre assures MSP in these laws,” he noted.
Pawar, who was elected from Karjat Jamkhed assembly seat in Ahmednagar district, took to Twitter and posted photos of his visit. "The Market Committee is an important link in the process of bringing fruits and vegetables from the farmers' field to the consumer," he said while speaking about the visit.
Pawar said, during his visit to APMC, he discussed various issues with the farmers, middlemen, traders, Mathadi workers and retailers to understand the process there.
On the renaming of Aurangabad, Pawar said the people’s view should be taken into consideration.
