NCP supremo Sharad Pawar urged PM Modi to look into Opposition leaders' letter over alleged 'misuse' of central agencies

Pune: On Monday, Nationalist Congress Party supremo Sharad Pawar, urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to look into concerns expressed by Opposition leaders over alleged 'misuse' of central agencies in a letter.

The former Union Minister said that he was the first signatory of the Opposition's unified letter to PM Modi; he made the statement at a media interaction in Pune.

Pawar was quoted by news agency ANI as saying that his signature appears first in the letter to PM Modi and that the opposition wants PM Modi to consider their concerns.

Speaking on Delhi's former Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia's arrest by CBI in the excise policy case, Pawar said that he [Sisodia] worked hard for education sector and praises were lavished at him but he is being arrested.

Opposition's letter to PM Modi

On March 5, Sunday, nine leaders from eight political parties wrote to PM Modi alleging 'misuse' of central agencies like CBI and ED and stated that it only suggests that the country had 'transitioned from being a democracy to an autocracy'. The letter came in wake of Sisodia's arrest.

The Opposition, in its letter, said that the timing of filing the cases against or arrests of leaders 'coincided' with elections and also stated that it demonstrates politically motivated nature of the move.

Signatories of the letter

Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao, JKNC leader Farooq Abdullah, AITC leader Mamata Banerjee, NCP leader Sharad Pawar, Uddhav Thackeray, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav were among the opposition leaders who signed the petition.

Congress, JDS, JD (U), and CPI (M) parties though abstained from making a statement.