Pawar meets Modi, ED action on Raut discussed

New Delhi, April 6 : Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Sharad Pawar met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday and discussed some issues related to Lakshadweep, as well as ED’s move to attach some property of Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut. In a joint press conference with NCP MP from Lakshdweep Mohammad Faizal, Pawar said the land was being acquired illegally, and that Section 144 was being misused by Lakshadweep Administrator Praful Khoda Patel. Pawar also confirmed that the issue of Raut’s properties being attached by the Enforcement Directorate was raised. Pawar said he told the Prime Minister that the action against Raut, the Executive Editor of Shiv Sena’s mouthpiece Saamna, and also a Rajya Sabha member, was not right. “Central agencies have raised some issues attached to his property. We told the PM it is an injustice with a Rajya Sabha member and a senior journalist. What was the provocation? Just because he criticised the government?,” Pawar said. He also mentioned the letter written by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, calling upon Opposition leaders to come together to discuss the misuse of Central agencies by the ruling BJP. Pawar dismissed reports of any differences among the allies in Maharashtra Vikas Aghadi, and said he has only heard from the media that Congress is unhappy, while the party leaders in Maharashtra have never said so. He said the alliance is intact, will complete its term, and also come back to power in Maharashtra. Asked about Raj Thackeray’s demand to remove loudspeakers from Mosques, Pawar said it was not a good thing that BJP was also supporting him in this. “BJP is in power at Centre and in several states. Its not good for the country for them to join hands with Raj Thackeray on his communal statement,” he said. NCP MP Faizal meanwhile said since Praful K Patel took over as Administrator, people were distressed. He said 2400 government employees were sacked from their jobs, and that people were fearing that they will lose their lands. AO RJ