After the Mumbai Police convinced Sharad Pawar not to visit the Enforcement Directorate office, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief announced that he had cancelled his plan to visit the Ed office in Mumbai on Friday, September 27, owing to the law and order situation.
"I have taken the decision not to go there (ED office) in view of the potential law and order problem it could create and cause inconvenience to the general public. I will decide when to go again at an appropriate date," Pawar told media following Mumbai Police Commissioner Sanjay Barve's request.
Sanjay Barve, Joint Police Commissioner VK Choubey and other senior police officials asked Pawar not to visit the ED office. Commissioner Barve urged Pawar not to violate the prohibitory orders clamped there since Thursday night, as there could be a law and order problem, disclosed NCP National Secretary Jitendra Awhad.
The 78-year-old veteran leader described the ED case against him as "politically motivated" since he was not involved as a director of the Maharashtra State Cooperative Bank where the alleged Rs 25,000-crore scam took place.
Pawar also thanked Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and others, as well as leaders of parties like Shiv Sena for the support extended to him.
He was flanked by the top NCP leadership, besides representatives of allies like Congress, Samajwadi Party, Swabhimani Shetkari Sanghatana and others on the occasion.
Pawar said that now the ED plan was cancelled, he would go on a tour of the flood-affected areas of Pune and surroundings where at least 21 persons were killed on Thursday.
Earlier, Barve rushed to meet Pawar and urged him not to violate the prohibitory orders clamped there since Thursday night in anticipation of a law and order problem, NCP National Secretary Jitendra Awhad said.
Support of allies
Rattled by the NCP chief's move, the ED also dashed off a letter to Pawar requesting him not to come to its office.
The ED and police chief's measures came after other senior police officials, including Joint Police Commissioner V.K. Choubey met Pawar to dissuade him from going to the ED office, apprehending a potential law and order crisis.
Since last night, the south Mumbai area was converted into a veritable fortress with a huge police presence of over 1,500 personnel, restrictions, roadblocks and prohibitory orders, but the situation relaxed later this afternoon.
"Even the NCP officials and workers were not allowed to enter the party office which is located in the Ballard Pier vicinity," said Mumbai party chief Nawab Malik.
(With agency inputs)
