The Enforcement Directorate has become a “supporting party of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party”, Nationalist Congress Party (SP) chief Sharad Pawar said on March 11. He said that central agencies were not misused during the Congress-led UPA government, unlike the current BJP-led Central government, which is using them to stoke fear among opposition leaders.
Speaking to reporters in Pune, the 83-year-old Pawar alleged that attempts were being made to influence elections with the help of agencies like the ED, He said candidates from the Opposition have reported being threatened to discourage them from contesting.
“Whenever the process of finalising candidates is on, threats are being issued directly or indirectly that they should not contest elections for the opposition. This is worrisome,” Mr. Pawar said.
Kin raided
The NCP patriarch’s remarks come days after his grand-nephew, MLA Rohit Pawar faced the ED’s scanner, with the agency attaching assets of a sugar mill owned by Rohit’s firm. Rohit Pawar has also been questioned by the ED twice in the past after agency officials searched the premises of his companies - Baramati Agro Limited, and Kannad Sahakari Sakhar Karkhana Limited - in January this year.
Trotting out statistics about ED probes and their progress in the last 18 years, Mr. Sharad Pawar said that between 2005 and 2023, two governments were in power, including the UPA.
“During the UPA regime, the ED investigated 26 leaders, of whom five were from the Congress and three from the BJP. It shows that during the UPA regime, the ED’s actions were not politically motivated, but after 2014, not a single BJP leader has been questioned,” Mr. Pawar said, remarking that this does raise questions.
He said that between 2005 and 2023, the ED investigated 147 political leaders.
Opposition targeted
“Of them, 85% are from the opposition, including 24 from the Congress, 19 from TMC, 11 from NCP, eight from Shiv Sena, six from DMK, five each from RJD and SP, three from AAP, two each from National Conference and PDP, and one each from AIADMK, MNS and TRS. After the BJP came to power in 2014, action has been taken against 121 leaders from all opposition parties including one CM, a former CM, 14 former ministers and MPs and MLAs. No one from the BJP was ever investigated by the agency,” said Mr. Sharad Pawar.
“It indicates that the ED has become a supporting party of the BJP. BJP leaders know about the ED’s actions in advance. It appears that orders come from the BJP and it smacks of political vendetta,” he said.
Detailing statistics of ED’s actions between 2005 and 2023, Mr. Pawar claimed the agency registered 5,806 cases of which only 25 had been disposed of.
Low conviction rate
“The disposal rate is 0.42% and the conviction rate is just 0.40%. Yet, the ED’s budget has risen from Rs. 300 crores in 2022 to Rs. 404 crores at present,” said the NCP (SP) chief.
Talking about the ED’s action against his grandnephew’s firm, Mr. Pawar said the sale of the sugar mill was proposed by the State government and the bank.
“Since the bid by Rohit’s company was the highest, his firm was awarded the sugar mill…No case was made against whose who purchased sugar mills at prices lower than ₹25 crore, but a case was registered in a purchase of ₹54 crores. It shows there is an attempt to dissuade a person who is doing good work in public life and create an atmosphere of fear,” claimed Mr. Pawar.
