Sharad Pawar’s Veiled Attack On BJP, ‘Ready To Pay Price For Our Stand’

NCP supremo Sharad Pawar on Tuesday said his party is ready to pay the price after probe agencies including ED took action against some of its leaders.

Earlier, senior NCP leader Jayant Patil was questioned by ED in Mumbai for more than eight hours in a money laundering case linked to alleged financial irregularities in the now-bankrupt financial services firm IL&FS.

“A possibility cannot be denied that the current dispensation has had some expectations from some 9-10 leaders of NCP. We are not ready to meet those expectations and are ready to pay the price for our stand. We will never leave the path we have chosen,” Pawar was quoted by the news agency PTI as having  said.

He took a veiled attack on the BJP-led Central government.

“As some people could not digest this (NCP's stand), hence we have to suffer. But we are not worried about it,” he was quoted as having said.

Earlier, Patil who is also NCP’s Maharashtra chief had said as he was part of the opposition, one needs to face such type of suffering.

“I have a list of some key 10 leaders who have faced inquiry. Some of them even faced action by these agencies,” he was quoted by PTI as having said.
 
“NCP leader (former home minister) Anil Deshmukh faced allegations of accepting Rs 100 crore for an educational institute and had to spend 13-14 months in jail. Later, it was revealed that the amount received was Rs 1.50 crore and not Rs 100 crore. It underscores the level of exaggeration of allegations,” Pawar said.

He added: "People were shocked when they first heard about such allegations. Deshmukh was defamed. It is the best example of how to misuse power.”