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India Today
18-05-2025
- Politics
- India Today
I had warned UPA about possible misuse of money laundering act: Sharad Pawar
Nationalist Congress Party (Sharad Pawar faction) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday alleged that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had ignored his warning about the possible misuse of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).Speaking at the launch of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut's book 'Narkatala Swarg' (Heaven In Hell), Pawar said the Act has been used by the BJP-led government to target opposition leaders through the Enforcement Directorate (ED).advertisementPawar recalled being a part of the UPA cabinet when the proposal to amend the PMLA was brought forward by then-Finance Minister P Chidambaram. 'I met and warned Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that it could be misused,' he said.'After 2014, the BJP government used the same Act to send Chidambaram and many other opposition leaders to jail in fake cases. MP Sanjay Raut and Anil Deshmukh were victims of this Act,' he emphasised that under the UPA government, although nine opposition leaders were charge-sheeted under PMLA, none were arrested. In contrast, under the current NDA government, 19 leaders from parties such as Congress, AAP, DMK, RJD, TMC and others have been criticised the present administration, describing it as an 'autocratic' regime that had 'turned a heaven like India into a hell' through the misuse of central investigative event also saw the presence of Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, renowned lyricist Javed Akhtar, and Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale, who joined Pawar in launching the book chronicling his 101 days in jail in Akhtar praised Raut for his 'fearless expression,' as he didn't surrender to pressure.
Hindustan Times
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
‘UPA government ignored my warning against PMLA, BJP later misused it': Pawar
MUMBAI: NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Saturday said that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government had ignored his warning about the possible misuse of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) to its own detriment—after the BJP came to power, PMLA was used to suppress opposition leaders by using the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Pawar was speaking at the launch of Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Sanjay Raut's book 'Narkatala Swarg' (Heaven In Hell) on his 101 days in jail in 2022. The book was launched by Pawar, Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray, renowned lyricist Javed Akhtar and Trinamool Congress MP Saket Gokhale. 'When our cabinet colleague P Chidambaram tabled a proposal to amend the PMLA, I had warned PM Manmohan Singh that it could be misused,' said Pawar. 'After 2014, the BJP government used the same act to send Chidambaram and many other opposition leaders to jail in fake cases. MP Sanjay Raut and Anil Deshmukh were victims of this Act.' Uddhav Thackeray said that the current 'autocratic' regime had turned a heaven like India into a hell by its misuse of central investigation agencies, and added that since India followed a federal structure, states too should be allowed to use these agencies. Hinting at the Gujarati element, he said it was a 'strange coincidence' that Moraraji Desai, Rajni Patel and now Modi-Shah wanted to finish the Shiv Sena. 'It's because the party raised its voice for Marathi and Mumbai,' he said. Akhtar lauded Raut for his 'fearless expression'. 'Democracy needs different political parties and citizens without political loyalty to any party who raise their voice on society's problems and the government's mistakes,' he said. 'I represent that section of society. Extremists from both sides dislike us. One side tells me to go to hell, and other side tells me to go to Pakistan. If there is a choice, I would choose hell over Pakistan,' he quipped. Akhtar also slammed ruling party leaders who criticised Raut's book before its launch. Earlier, Raut said he decided not to surrender before the 'brutal regime'. 'The memories of jail are bitter, of course, but one has to leave it at that and look at it as experience,' he said. 'Those who are willing to work in the opposition against the autocratic regime should read this book. The lesson of history is that dictatorship does not last for long.' TMC MP Gokhale said the union government had created trouble for itself by sending Raut to jail. 'This book will be read as history after a few decades and people will know that there was a dictator and there was Amit Shah and a few people who fought against the brutal regime,' he said.
