Shiv Sena MP Arvind Sawant on Thursday heaped praises on Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar calling him the "best leader" in the country and saying that he is well aware that the federal agencies are being used by the BJP-led ruling government against leaders of the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government in Maharashtra.
His remarks came after Pawar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the Parliament building on Wednesday.
"Sharad Pawar is the best leader in the country as he has a lot of experience. He knows that ED, Income Tax, and CBI are being used by the central government," Sawant told ANI.
The Shiv Sena leader also said that the action by federal agencies terminates against those who join Bharatiya Janata Party.
"These agencies (ED, CBI, Income Tax) stop taking action against those who join BJP. It is not judicial. The strange thing is that the Supreme Court has turned a blind eye," he stated.
Sawant criticized the Supreme Court for not taking cognizance of these actions. "The Supreme Court takes action even into petty cases. Now, the talks over The Kashmir Files, the Hindu-Muslim community, mosques have come to the forefront in the country," the Shiv Sena leader said.
He also raised questions on the Centre over a difference in policies in BJP-ruled states and those ruled by the Opposition.
"Same policies should be applicable across the world. Why rules are different in BJP states and other parties' states? They are deliberately insisting the Opposition to work according to them which will automatically destabilize the state governments. Everyone is supporting them in this ideology," he added.
The Enforcement Directorate had on Tuesday provisionally attached assets worth Rs 11.15 crore of three people, including Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut's wife Varsha Raut, in a case related to irregularities in a chawl redevelopment project at Mumbai's Goregaon.
The assets of Varsha and the two others -- businessman Pravin Raut, and Swapna Patkar, wife of the MP's close associate Sujit Patkar -- have been attached under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray had last month targeted the BJP-led government over the role of probe agencies in the state including the Enforcement Directorate's action in a case linked to his relatives and dared it to put him behind the bars.
The ED had attached properties of nearly Rs 6.45 crore during raids at his brother-in-law Shridhar Patankar's premises.
Thackeray had also referred to state Minister Nawab Malik, who has been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering case and asked if the NCP leader was in the wrong, what were the agencies doing for so long.
( With inputs from ANI )
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