Ajit Pawar resigned as MLA because he couldn’t tolerate ED action against me: Sharad Pawar

NCP chief Sharad Pawar says he hasn’t spoken to his nephew Ajit, adds that his children had told him reason behind resignation.

File photo of Ajit Pawar | Twitter: @ANI

Mumbai: Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) president Sharad Pawar Friday said his nephew, senior party leader Ajit Pawar, resigned as an MLA as he could not tolerate the senior Pawar’s name being dragged into the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank scam despite never being a director or functionary of the bank.

Sharad Pawar, however, said he has not been able to speak to or contact his nephew since his resignation, but has spoken to his children to understand the reason behind the younger Pawar’s resignation.

“From my conversation with Ajit Pawar’s family, I personally think that his resignation is because he was upset that my name had been dragged into the case,” Pawar said at a press conference Friday.

“I spoke to his children. He advised his children that the level of politics today has sunk to new lows and that they should not get into politics. He told his children that it is better to focus on the agriculture business,” said Pawar.

“He said it is intolerable that even a senior politician like kaka, which is what he calls me, can be made to face such a situation,” Pawar said, adding that Ajit Pawar’s nature is such that if he believes in something he will be clear about it.

Ajit, the former Maharashtra deputy chief minister, had submitted his resignation to Speaker Haribhau Bagade via email Friday evening. He later had a telephone conversation with the Speaker, requesting him to accept it.

The ED case against the Pawars

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) had Tuesday registered a case of alleged money
laundering against Sharad Pawar, Ajit Pawar, and about 70 others, mostly Congress and NCP leaders, in connection with irregularities in the functioning of the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank.

While all others against whom the case has been registered were either directors or functionaries of the bank till 2011, Pawar had no direct connection with the bank or the case.

At the press conference Friday, Pawar said Ajit had last spoken to him on Thursday night but did not discuss his resignation plans and the conversation was about the flood situation in Pune and Baramati.

Pawar said his nephew had spoken to his children Friday about how he has always handled his role in the cooperative sector very carefully and as director of the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank helped out stressed units battling financial troubles.

“There are no differences within the Pawar family,” the NCP chief added. “In our family, the tradition has been that the word of the head of the family is considered final. Earlier, my elders used to take decisions. Now they aren’t here anymore, so my word is respected as final.”