Attempts on to 'dissolve' states: Sharad Pawar's swipe at Centre

Sharad Pawar. File Pic

Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar took a swipe at the Union government by claiming attempts were being made to "dissolve" governments in several states.

He said people would do the same with those in power. Speaking at a meeting of NCP workers, Pawar also said the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was "attacking Parliamentary democracy in the country". "There are attempts to dissolve several states. However, people will do the same with those in power. People are watching," the former Union minister said without naming any dispensation or state in particular.

However, he named the BJP while talking about recent developments in Maharashtra, where the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) government collapsed following a rebellion by the Eknath Shinde faction of MLAs against the Shiv Sena leadership. "The BJP is attacking parliamentary democracy in the country. What happened in Madhya Pradesh and now in Maharashtra is known to everyone. It is because power is concentrated in a few hands," he said. Queried on allegations that the BJP-led Centre was misusing probe agencies to target Opposition leaders, Pawar said the Congress never did so when it was in power.

"The Congress never misused probe agencies like the Enforcement Directorate (ED) but power is massively misused to create political threats. It is a time for the struggle for everyone," he claimed. Pawar referred to the Emergency imposed in the country between 1975 and 1977 and said the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi lost the polls after it was lifted.

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