News Analysis India

Tag: Sharad Pawar

  • Sharad Pawar says stand vindicated as rape complaint against Dhananjay Munde withdrawn

    By Express News Service
    MUMBAI: The Mumbai-based woman who had accused Maharashtra cabinet minister Dhananjay Munde of rape has withdrawn her police complaint, an official said on Friday. The woman told the investigating officer that she is taking back the complaint against Munde, but did not cite any reason, the police official said. The police asked the complainant to submit a notorised affidavit, he said.

    The woman had approached the police with the complaint against the Social Justice Minister (45) on January 11, accusing him  of rape and sexual assault on pretext of marriage in 2006. The police had started an inquiry and the woman had visited the Oshiwara police station to record her statement.

    Munde, a senior NCP leader from Beed district, has denied the rape charges and dubbed them has an attempt to blackmail him. The minister, however, has admitted that he was in a relationship with the complainant woman’s sister.

    As the complaint came to light, the opposition BJP demanded Munde’s resignation from the cabinet.     

    However, the NCP ruled out any action against Munde till the charges were proved. Reacting to the development, NCP president Sharad Pawar said it seems the party’s decision to wait for the truth to come out after rape allegations were levelled against Munde was right.

    Addressing reporters here, Pawar also alleged efforts are on from Delhi to Mumbai to bring down the Aghadi. “I got to read the news about (the woman) withdrawing the complaint. I dont know the details.

    But after discussion with Munde and officials, we felt prima facie that the truth needs to be verified first,” he said. The NCP chief, who had initially termed the rape charges as serious, said the party pitched for a detailed probe into the allegations after it saw some documents in connection with the episode. And the turn of events has vindicated our stand, the senior leader said.

  • Sharad Pawar to take part in Mumbai event in support of agitating farmers

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: NCP president Sharad Pawar on Friday said he will take part in a protest planned in Mumbai to express support for farmers agitating against the new agri- marketing laws enacted by the Modi government.

    Talking to reporters in Kolhapur, around 375km from here, the former Union agriculture minister noted that the agitating farmers have rejected the Centre’s offer to suspend the new laws for 18 months.

    “The government proposed suspending the laws for 18 months. But the farmers have rejected it. They (farmers) have asked the government to repeal the laws and then sit for discussion.”

    “The protesting farmers well-wishers from Maharashtra met me, met the chief minister. They told us they will on January 24 or January 25 unite all those who are supporting the agitating farmers.”

    “They invited us for the same. We said okay we will come,” Pawar said.

    Farmers, agitating for nearly two months outside Delhi, are demanding a repeal of the Agri laws which seek to encourage private trade, contract farming and remove the stock limit on foodgrains.

    Asked about reports of senior Congress leader Sushilkumar Shinde’s name being among those in the race for the party president’s post, the NCP chief said his best wishes are with the former Union home minister.

    “He is our colleague. We are happy and our best wishes if the news you (journalist) are giving that a person from Maharashtra will become (Congress president),” he added.

    The Maharashtra government had submitted to Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari a list of 12 members to be nominated to the Legislative Council from his quota in November last year.

    To a question that Koshyari is yet to take a decision on it, Pawar said, I have experience of 50 years that the Governor never rejected a proposal after the chief minister has sent it to him after the approval of the cabinet.

    “Something different has happened here (now). Let’s see what happens.”

  • Fire at Serum Institute of India an accident: NCP president Sharad Pawar

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: The fire at the premises of Serum Institute of India (SII) was an “accident and there is absolutely no doubt about the integrity of scientists working with the Pune-based vaccine major, NCP president Sharad Pawar said on Friday.

    Pawar made the remarks in Kolhapur while replying to a question from reporters about allegations of sabotage behind the fire on Thursday.

    Five labourers died in the fire which broke out in a five-storeyed under-construction building in the Serum Institute of India’s Manjari premises in Pune.

    ALSO READ: Serum Institute fire: 200 labourers jump from windows to live; Rs 25 lakh announced for kin of dead

    The Manjari facility is where Covishield, the SII vaccine against COVID-19 which is being used in the nationwide inoculation drive, is manufactured.

    The building where the fire broke out is one km from the Covishield vaccine manufacturing unit.

    A probe is on to find out the cause of the blaze.

    Asked about allegations of sabotage in the incident, Pawar said, “It is not right for us to speak today. But we have absolutely no doubt about the integrity of experts, scientists working at Serum. This is an accident.”

    To a question about a section of people showing hesitancy in taking doses of the COVID-19 vaccine, the NCP president said the SII is a world-renowned institute and noted that experts have advocated the use of its products….the prime minister has advocated it (taking COVID-19 vaccine). The experts are for the products of Serum Institute. Once they (experts) are of that view, what me and you have to comment on this? Pawar said.

  • NCP to form front with like-minded parties for Goa polls: Sharad Pawar

    By PTI
    PANAJI: NCP chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said his party intends to fight the 2022 Goa Legislative Assembly elections in alliance with the Congress and other like-minded parties.

    Speaking to reporters in Panaji, Pawar said the NCP wants to fight the Goa Legislative Assembly elections “as a front” along with other parties to provide an alternative to the BJP.

    “In Goa, we want to contest the election in alliance with the Congress and other like-minded parties, but we are yet to start dialogues with other political outfits,” the NCP chief said.

    Pawar met the local NCP leadership including the party’s state unit president Jose Philip D’Souza and Churchill Alemao, the party’s lone MLA in the Assembly.

    Senior party leader Prafulla Patel has been authorized to hold dialogues with other parties to form a front for the state Assembly elections, the NCP chief said.

    “The discussion about the alliance and seat-sharing amongst partners will happen at the national level,” he said, adding that discussions will begin six months before the election date.

  • Can not ignore issues raised by protesting farmers: Pawar hits out at Modi government

    By PTI
    PANAJI: NCP president Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said the Centre seems to have no sympathy for farmers protesting outside Delhi against new Agri laws in extreme weather conditions and favoured talks to resolve the issues raised by them.

    Backing the protest, going on for over a month now, against the three farm laws enacted by the Centre in September last year, Pawar said the agitation can not be ignored.

    Talking to reporters in Panaji, Pawar pointed out that farmers are protesting outside Delhi in severe cold, but the Centre seems to have no sympathy towards them.

    I am supporting the agitation launched by farmers.

    The central government should have a dialogue with them and resolve the issues raised by them, the former Union agriculture minister said.

    “Farmers are sitting in cold temperatures on the streets but I dont see any sympathy for them by Government of India,” he said.

    The NCP leader said he had written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the farm protest.

    “I had written a letter to the Prime Minister saying that farmers have raised certain apprehensions (over the new laws).

    “So, please sit with them and resolve their issues, Pawar added.

    He said farmers feed the country so their issues have to be heard and resolved.

    Pawar sad 65 per cent of the people in the country are dependent on the agriculture sector and this fact cannot be ignored.

    The Centre and unions representing protesting farmers on Wednesday held the 10th round of talks where the government proposed to suspend the three contentious farm laws for one-and-a-half years and set up a joint committee to discuss the Acts to end the stalemate.

    Farmer leaders did not immediately accept the proposal and said they will revert after internal consultations.

    The next meeting has been scheduled for January 22.

    Farmers are demanding a repeal of the new laws.

  • Sharad Pawar postpones visit to Kerala; state NCP meeting deferred

    By ANI
    KOCHI: The State Executive Committee meeting of the National Congress Party (NCP) has been postponed as party supremo Sharad Pawar, postponing his visit to Kerala.

    The meeting of NCP scheduled to be held at Kochi on January 23 has been postponed, State General Secretary M Alikoya said on Wednesday.

    Pawar’s visit to the state was expected to throw light on whether the party will remain with the Left Democratic Front or join the UDF, putting to an end weeks-long speculation after the NCP left the Left Front in Kerala on January 23.

    NCP state president TP Peethambaran earlier said that “After the meeting, Sharad Pawar will announce the political decision taken by the party.”

    An internal rift in the NCP emerged after the CPI-M indicated that the Pala assembly seat, now represented by MLA Mani C Kappan, will be allocated to the Kerala Congress (M) under Jose K Mani.

    Although the expected arrival of Pawar in Kochi was considered as the central leadership’s bid to avoid an imminent split in the state unit, a section of leaders feel that a final decision on continuing in the LDF will be taken as Pawar will announce the party’s political stand after his arrival.

  • NCP will wait for probe outcome in case against Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde: Sharad Pawar

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: NCP president Sharad Pawar on Friday said the party will think of any action against Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde, facing rape accusation, only after the truth comes out post police probe in the matter.

    Munde, the Social Justice Minister and NCP leader, has been accused of rape by a Mumbai-based woman, a charge he has strongly refuted and termed it as a blackmail attempt.

    Pawar told reporters here that the NCP wants an ACP rank woman officer to be part of the police team that will probe the allegations against Munde.

    The former Union ministers comments came in the wake of NCP leaders holding a late Thursday night meeting to discuss the issue.

    At the meeting it was decided to let Munde continue in his post for now and take a call on his fate after the police investigation is completed.

    Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Pawar had termed the allegations levelled by the woman as serious.

    On Thursday, BJP leader Krishna Hegde and Manish Dhuri of the MNS alleged that the same woman had allegedly harassed them, too.

    Pawar on Friday said the claims made by Hegde and Dhuri were not in public domain when he had termed the allegations of the woman against Munde as being serious.

    When we learnt these things (claims of Hegde and Dhuri), we came to a conclusion that the matter has to be probed in detail.

    “We were and are sure that the police department will do that, Pawar said, adding the party will not interfere in the police investigation. The only thing we suggested was that there should at least one woman ACP rank official probing the matter. They should bring to the fore facts after taking information about the complaints. And they should complete the probe as soon as possible,” he added.

    Pawar said possibility that injustice will be meted to one if the matter is not probed in detail cannot be ruled out and hence, the party is waiting for the investigation outcome.

    The NCP president said he has full confidence that the Mumbai Police will bring the truth out.

    Asked about some BJP leaders targeting the NCP over the episode involving Munde, Pawar said it is the right of the opposition to criticise.

    But, he added, it is the responsibility of the NCP to go deep into the matter to know the facts and take the right decision accordingly.

    On the BJP making repeated allegations against NCP leaders like Munde and Nawab Malik (another NCP minister), Pawar attributed the same to the restlessness of the NDA lead constituent after losing power in Maharashtra.

    “It is alright. I can understand the restlessness of those who have lost power. I dont see it as different from targeting those because of whom they feel they lost the power, he added.

    Malik’s son-in-law has been arrested by the NCB in a drugs case.

    Asked about another allegation against Munde that he hid information about having two more children from the relationship with the sister of the complainant woman, Pawar said it needs to be checked and added such cases of hiding information have happened in the country previously.

    It needs to be checked whether he got married for the second time or has more children, but did not share the information.

    Such cases have happened in the country.

    “Even (there are) cases involving the highest people. But I dont want to go into their details,” Pawar said without naming anyone.

  • `Truly’ independent persons should have been appointed on panel on farm laws: Pawar

    Pawar, a former Union agriculture minister, said the agitating farmers do not have faith in the panel as these members were said to have supported the new farm laws of the Centre in the past.

  • Facing rape charges, Dhananjay Munde to continue as minister in Uddhav Cabinet for now

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: In a relief for Maharashtra Minister Dhananjay Munde, who is facing rape allegation by a woman, his party NCP has decided to let him continue in the cabinet post for now, sources said on Friday.

    According to the sources, the decision was taken considering the complaints of harassment made against the woman by some leaders from the opposition BJP and the MNS.

    Top NCP leaders, including party president Sharad Pawar, Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, Water Resources Minister Jayant Patil and senior leader Praful Patel, met here late Thursday night to discuss the issue.

    The meeting was held at Patel’s residence.

    Munde (45), the social justice minister in the Shiv Sena-led MVA government, has refuted the rape charges and dubbed them as blackmail attempt.

    BJP leader Krishna Hegde on Thursday claimed that the Mumbai-based woman had been harassing him for several years.

    An MNS politician, too, has made similar allegations against her.

    Munde had levelled blackmailing charges against the woman.

    Now other party politicians, too, have levelled such charges against the woman concerned.

    The allegation by BJP and MNS leaders somewhere seems to strengthen Mundes claims.

    A police probe is going on in a case relating to Munde.

    “We will need to wait for its conclusion. So, it was decided that Munde will continue in the post for now,” the sources said.

    On Thursday, NCP patriarch Sharad Pawar said that the allegation against Munde was serious and added the party will discuss the issue and decide on it “as soon as possible.

    Pawar told reporters that Munde met him on Wednesday and explained his side of the episode.

    State NCP president Jayant Patil said on Thursday that Munde would not resign just because someone has made allegations, but asserted the issue would be discussed inside the NCP and a decision would be taken based on facts.

    Patil had also said that any conclusion should be reached only based on police probe outcome into the matter.

    The NCP leader had also claimed that the state government was not interfering in the police probe.

    Munde, an NCP leader from Beed district, has denied the rape allegations, claiming he is being blackmailed by the woman and her sister.

    Munde, however, has acknowledged that he was in a relationship with the complainant woman’s sister and has two children with her.

    The BJP has demanded Munde’s resignation.

  • Allegations against NCP minister Dhananjay Munde serious, says Sharad Pawar

    By PTI
    MUMBAI: Terming the rape claim by a woman against Maharashtra Social Justice Minister Dhananjay Munde as serious, NCP president Sharad Pawar on Thursday said the party will discuss the issue and decide on it “as soon as possible.

    Pawar also referred to the NCBs arrest of the son- in-law of another NCP minister Nawab Malik in a drug case and said people concerned should cooperate with the agency.

    The NCP chief said there is no personal allegation against Malik. Pawar told reporters that Munde met him on Wednesday and explained the details in connection with the allegation.

    READ| Woman accuses Maharashtra social justice minister Dhananjay Munde of rape

    “I think the allegation against him (Munde) is serious. Naturally, we will have to discuss the issue as a party. I will discuss the same in detail with my key colleagues and take them into confidence,” Pawar said.

    “Further steps will be taken after knowing their views. We will do this as soon as possible, he added.

    Munde told reporters that Pawar and other leaders of the party will take a call on the issue of his resignation.

    The 37-year-old woman, an aspiring singer, had said she wrote to Mumbai police commissioner on January 10, stating that Munde repeatedly raped her in 2006.

    She also claimed that she approached Oshiwara police here earlier but her complaint was ignored.

    Munde, NCP leader from Beed district, has denied the allegations, claiming he is being blackmailed by the woman and her sister.

    Munde (45) said the woman’s claims were part of a conspiracy to blackmail him.

    He, however, acknowledged that he was in a relationship with the woman’s sister and has two children with her.

    In a statement issued on Tuesday, Munde said his wife, family and friends were aware of this relationship, adding the two kids have been accepted by his family.

    He said the woman with whom he was in a relationship had been blackmailing him since 2019 and he had filed a police complaint and also moved the Bombay High Court seeking a stay on distribution of defamatory content against him.